High School Insanity
by Alois21
Summary: All my life, I've only loathed three things—my overbearing school, the blasted luck the gods have bestowed me with, and a sinister memory that has escaped the shadowy recesses of my mind and haunts me now worse than Slenderman on stimulants. In which there are shenanigans, dramas, and sexual tensions so thick, you could cut through it with a knife. Hey, it's high school. NejiTen.
1. Konoha

**Disclaimer: All characters and locations mentioned in the story are property of Masashi Kishimoto, unless stated otherwise. No profit was gained in the making and consequent publishing of this story. This disclaimer applies to all subsequent chapters, unless stated otherwise.**

* * *

**_Chapter I: Konoha_**

* * *

The disembodied voice of the woman boomed loudly and clearly across the colossal lobby of the Lightning International Airport, announcing the flight for Konoha, Land of Fire. Propping myself up on the cold handlebar of my luggage, I shakily stood up, ignoring the infinitesimal prickling sensations from the leg that had fallen asleep. I turned to my mother and smiled at her tear-stained face, puffy and blotchy from her incessant sobbing. I felt a hand snake around my shoulder blades, and leaned my head against my father's side.

"Guess this is goodbye, then." I mumbled softly. My voice was hoarse, my throat parched. I reached for the canteen in my mother's discarded duffel, and gulped down heartily. Finally, I tucked the object away, and felt my mother launch herself against my frame, with no preamble whatsoever, nearly toppling the both of us over. Small as the woman may be, she sure does weigh a ton. I laughed. My father would later join in on the little group hug, before they would eventually let me go and see me off to immigration.

"Be careful out there, Ten." Mother hugged me, for the last time in a long while, and I valiantly fought back the strong urge to just cave in and stay with them. I can't. I have a school, a new life, awaiting me miles and miles away. Oh, and an over-enthusiastic auntie, too.

"I will, Mom, Dad. I love you. You guys take care of yourselves, too, and don't be too sad without me. Let loose, guys. You can finally feel like newly weds again, after all this time." I smirked, and they laughed at the jibe. Finally, we parted ways, and I dragged myself through immigration, and for whatever doggone process I had to go through before I finally found myself squeezing my frame in between a file of people unable to track down their seats, and the compressed airplane aisles. It took a while before I found mine, but I quickly tucked my bag on the overhead compartment, slid in on my seat next to the window, and plugged in my earphones. I keyed in a quick goodbye message to my parents, before switching the phone to flight mode.

_Flow_'s_ Go _blared through the earpieces and I drummed my fingers to the beat. Soon, the continuous blast of rock music lulled me to a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"… _'ere, Madame…_"

I felt a persistent rocking and pressing sensation against my right shoulder, and on instinct knew that someone was waking me up. _No, mom. Five more minutes. School doesn't start until half past seven._

"… _Madame, please, we are 'ere. You mus' wake up._" The shaking grew stronger, even more persistent, and I swatted the hand away from my person. For effect, I opened one eye to glare at the intruder. To my surprise, a pair of bright blues stared back at me, instead of the hazels I am accustomed to. With a start, I am snapped out of my sleepy haze, as the reality began to sink in. Smiling sheepishly, I hastily unstrapped my seat belt, pocketed my phone and earpieces, and retrieved the bag the flight attendant was courteously offering me. Bowing once in apology, I made a quick exit. My face was aflame with embarrassment.

My first day on a new country is not looking so hot for me.

* * *

In the massive lobby of Fire International Airport, I craned my neck back and forth, trying to discern a shock of spiky raven hair from the crowd. No such luck. It has been well over an hour, but not a speck of a sign from my auntie had been seen. I fished for my phone and scrolled through the contacts for her number, glad that I had activated roaming beforehand. Three rings into my call, and the receiving end picked up. "_Welcome to Konoha, Tenten._" The disembodied voice sounded close, too physical, too present, to be coming from my phone. Spinning on my heel, I was tackled by my enthused auntie, before I had even faced her entirely. I smiled a face-splitting grin as I returned her excitement.

"Auntie! Oh my, I haven't seen you in ages! What has—_no way_." My eyes widened, and nearly budged out of their sockets. The woman that I could very nearly mistake for my mother simply smiled mischievously, her eyes glinting. "Oh my god, _no way! _Auntie! You—!" She placed a finger on her lips, and yanked my arm. I glanced around, suddenly aware of the attention I brought on myself. I looked down, sheepishly, and stepped closer to her. "The details, for later?"

"Of course, Tenten, dear. But before that, let's get you settled first."

* * *

"… Who?"

"Aiko, dear, Sarutobi Aiko. I'm beginning to think you've grown deaf with your old age, Tenten." She rolled her eyes and stared at me pointedly.

"Eyes on the road, woman!" I clicked my tongue. "I heard you the first time, though. Like you should talk about getting old." She rolled her eyes again, but a small smile crinkled her lips. "Why Aiko?"

"You don't like it." My auntie gently pressed on the breaks, and the car eased to a slow, gradual stop. We pulled over at a fast food chain, and my aunt detached herself from the vehicle. I doubled over at her sudden accusation. It wasn't even a question; it was a statement. She thinks, _believes_, I disapprove. I cannot be, seriously, having this conversation with her right now. Hastily, I scramble to unfasten my seatbelt, and leapt out of the car. Auntie was already a few steps ahead of me, and I jogged to catch up. "You don't like the name?"

"I never said that!" I said, a little indignant. "Where did you even get that?" She opened her mouth to retort, but I shook my head, "You know what, never mind. That was rhetorical. Auntie, do you even hear yourself? You're seriously getting riled up over a name?" Her hormones are on overdrive.

Suddenly she smiled at me and ushered me in an unoccupied booth, easing on the seat in front of me. "Let's eat, Tenten. What would you like to have? I haven't seen you in ages! My treat." She moved to stand up, but I beat her to it.

"Okay, but I'll order. What will you have?"

"Their regular, Tenten." I raised a brow, unfamiliar with the terminology. "You'll probably love that, so just get what I'm having, if you're confused." I nodded and lined up in the queue. Moments later and I was back with two large burgers, fries, and Cokes. Handing her order to her, I eyed Kurenai strangely.

"Should you be munching on junk foods? You're pregnant!" She threw her head back and laughed heartily. Did I say something funny or are her hormones acting up, and on overdrive? Her mirth died after a while, eventually.

"I know Asuma must have wanted a boy, but I really have this strong feeling that it's going to be a girl! We actually had a little, but serious, argument over it." She giggled girlishly, "I thought Aiko was a befitting name, but he insisted he wanted to name it after his father, Hiruzen-sama." She smiled fondly. I swallowed the fries, and gulped some Coke, trying to gather my scattered thoughts. I'm going to be a cousin. And I'm probably going to live with him/her. I'm going to be a babysitter. My first day in another country, halfway across the globe from where I come from, and _this_ is what I'm bombarded with?

"Wow… I mean… names… you're arguing over names…"

"Well, it happens!" I cocked an eyebrow. One moment she was chipper, and she's solemn the next, then she's hyper again. I'm finding it hard trying to keep up with her mood swings.

* * *

Hours after my auntie had dropped a _Bijuu_-bomb on me, I have finally settled comfortably in my temporary room. My clothes had been unpacked, my toiletries set in the bathroom, and the bed made exactly as I like it. After a shower and a quick dinner, I am refreshed but sleepy, although not quite psyched to hit the hay. Slipping out of my bedroom, I made my way to my aunt's room, and knocked. She opened it, almost immediately, and I allowed myself inside.

"Okay, I know you have a load of questions for me, so shoot." She settled on the recliner, and I found a comfortable spot on her beanbag.

"Well my mind is still reeling from this afternoon, so I'm steering clear from _that _danger zone for the time being." She chuckled over this. "I have some basic questions, though. I should probably have asked this over the car ride instead, but we were pretty occupied with something else." Kurenai nodded, a little solemnly, perhaps, for something as casual as living arrangements, but I did not read much into it. "So I will be bunking over with you guys, from here on."

"The living arrangements have been settled. You are now, officially, under my wing and I and my husband are your guardians." She shrugged, reaching for a pack of Doritos on her tabletop. "Want some?" I grabbed a fistful.

"You sure like your junk foods. Remember to keep them at bay." She nodded again, suppressing a smirk as she rolled her eyes. "Back to the topic, how far is the school from here? Can I walk, or do I have to take a bus or something?"

"Walking will do, but it's going to be some exercise." Kurenai smirked. "Asuma's newphew, Konohamaru, has his old bike parked here somewhere, so I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you used it. And it's a mountain bike, darling. That boy is quite the adrenaline junkie."

"Sweet. I'll use it, if it's fine with him." I munched on the Doritos more, and a companionable silence stretched between us as I pieced my question together. Finally, "Okay, one more question: I don't really understand how the LFU system works. I've seen a number of elite universities, but this one takes the cake. I know some schools exercise the feeder school process, but this is taking it to a different level. Why do I have to attend Konoha High before I can even be a legitimate examinee for LFU? And it's not even enough guarantee that I will make it to the university! I think it's a little exaggerated." I grumbled. I love my old school. Kumo A had its fair share of bitches and typical high school drama, but it's a fantastic place to be, nevertheless. I had to leave friends and family behind, all for the sake of my dream college. Sometimes I think I myself went overboard.

"Tenten, Konoha High School is under the umbrella of The Land of Fire University autonomy. They have their own way of running things. And usually, unless absolutely drastic, no outsider, not even the Fire _daimyo _himself, has a say on the university's system. It's ironic, if you think about it. LFU is supposed to be the state university, but the state does not govern it. Anyway, LFU only accepts students from their feeder school, that is KHS, for some shrewd idea of purification or whatever."

"Excuse me? Purification? What is this, distilled water?"

She rolled her eyes at my lame jab. "No, Tenten, KHS kids are literally raised to become ideal LFU students. As I said, they are autonomous. They do things their own way. And it's going to be hard to cope with all their systems without prior training. That's what the high school is for. But you already know that, don't you?"

I rolled on my stomach, and on the floor, stretching my sore muscles. "The things I do for my dream university…" I mumbled, already feeling weary. Kurenai stood up and knelt beside me. She stroked my hair affectionately, and the fatigue washed over me in full force. I snuggled closer to her touch.

"You'll love KHS, I promise. It's a little… over-the-top; I'll give it that. But you came from Kumogakure Academy for Girls. I'm sure you can handle a little… umm… flair for the dramatics."

"Ugh." I groaned, "If I end up beating the kids over there, will you bail me out of detention or whatever jail they have there?"

Kurenai laughed, "Of course, my little tomboy." She helped me on my feet, and I made my way out of her room. As we bade each other goodnight, she said, "I hope you have fun here in Konoha, darling."

"I definitely will." _I hope._

* * *

**Kurenai is pregnant! And she's related to Tenten! Bet you didn't see that coming! ****_Not. _****Anyway, she is, expectedly, a little different from the normal, non-pregnant Kurenai we're accustomed to. I wanted to do a little twist on her character. I wanted to portray her as someone more carefree (regardless of what she is bearing, literally), and more at ease than what we regularly see her in the manga. It's just the fan-fiction talking.**

**Tenten is more or less a people person, but she has a non-nonsense personality to her. I think she's going to fit in just fine in an elite high school, because she is elite herself. But there will expectedly be drama, of course; there's always drama.**

**I finally gotten around to rewriting this story! A quick back-story: I first started writing High School Insanity ****_before _****I began high school. At that time, I had absolutely no idea of what the high school world entailed, and how ****_insane _****it actually is. Unfortunately, over time, my passion for continuing this story waned, until I eventually abandoned it altogether. I am now in college, and starting all over. I really hope to finish this now that I have went through the glorious bowels of high school-and survived! I'm very excited for this with first-hand experience to draw inspiration from.**

**So stay tuned to find out more, please. And don't forget to review! Reviews keep me motivated. A motivated Alois is a writing Alois and a writing Alois is an updating Alois. So review for updates! :)**


	2. Homeroom

**_Chapter II: Homeroom_**

* * *

Kurenai drove me kilometers south from her little bungalow. With my bag tucked safely in the backseat, and my papers in a file case on my lap, I stared ahead, mindlessly, with my mind racing a mile a minute. My new high school; my new life. From here onwards, I am, literally, on my own; a no-name 17-year-old alone in elite foreign grounds. I swallowed, a little in trepidation. _This is real peachy._

"Relax, Tenten, you'll do great." I could hear the confidence in her voice, and I took some comfort in Kurenai's reassurance. Finally we pulled up in a grand parking lot laded with an assortment of fancy and fabulous cars of all brands and sizes. Kurenai unloaded my belongings, allowing me some time to myself. I took a deep, steadying breath, and steeled myself. _Confidence, girl, you're in your league. _I stepped out of the vehicle, and retrieved my bag from my aunt. Kurenai smiled kindly, and led me towards the main building. There I would receive my combinations, my guidebook, and everything else that I need to survive this prestigious hellhole.

A harried-looking woman received us. _Shizune, _the brass-plated wooden bar read, _Vice Principal. _Funny, she looks nothing I would expect a woman of her position to look. She explained the basics, an overview of my would-be life in Konoha High School. From the foot of her oak table, a small pig _oink-_ed enthusiastically sometimes in response, sometimes in tune, to whatever Miss Shizune would say. It was cute and disturbing at the same time.

"Welcome to Konoha, Miss Fujisaki. I hope you enjoy your stay here." _Oink, oink!_

_Do I have a choice? _"My sentiments as well, Miss Shizune." She shook my hand and led us out, handing a rectangular device to my aunt. I eyed it curiously, unable to discern the object in between my aunt's fingers, and the handful of papers Miss Shizune had given the both of us over our brief meeting.

"This tablet has a map of the entire campus that should help with the navigation. Should you no longer require it, you may simply leave it at any reception's desk you come across. No need to worry returning it all the way here." We nod in acknowledgement, and a few more pleasantries and formalities were parried. Finally, it was time to leave. As soon as we step out of the main building's premises, I snatched the _iPad mini_ from Kurenai. She glared at me, childishly indignant.

"I don't want you breaking school property on my tab, Auntie. You know you're not the most technologically-inclined person out there."

"I manage, Tenten, thank you every much." She grumbled but acquiesced. New technology in the hands of Kurenai Yuhi-Sarutobi is new technology waiting to be dismantled brutally. After toying with the device for a few moments, I got our coordinates, and the easiest way to each of the buildings that housed my classrooms. It would be a long walk all around the campus, and I'm positive a five-month-pregnant woman would not be up for such a task. I guided us to the science building first where my homeroom should be. This would be Kurenai's first and last stop. On the third floor, we walked around a series of hallways, trying to locate rooms 318 through 324. After what could have been forever (in which Kurenai is now greatly taxed and is in dire need of a chair), we finally stumbled upon room SS321.

"Well… I'll see you later, I guess." I scratched the back of my head awkwardly, "Auntie, this is really embarrassing. I'm 17. I really didn't need you to walk me all the way to my class." I looked around, as if to punctuate my embarrassment. Kurenai smirked, not unkindly, and embraced me briefly. Eventually she released me, and headed on, taking the _iPad _with her, and I am finally left to my own devices. With a deep, steadying breath, I slid the door open, and made myself known.

* * *

"Uhh… hi…" I waved awkwardly, frozen on my spot. My actual entrance had been relatively uneventful, until I heard rather than saw a chalkboard eraser clinking against the wooden door and hurtling towards me at incredible speed. In a display of inborn agility, I sidestepped the projectile and instinctively kicked it with my heel, toying with it like a makeshift soccer ball. "Sorry… about that." I said as I finally picked up the discarded object, and placed it on the teacher's desk.

"You're not Kakashi-sensei." A blond hopped towards me, and reached for the eraser. He ushered me away from the door and replaced it back on the frame. "And you ruined my booby trap." I opened my mouth to retort but he jabbed his palm towards me, "That was a really cool move you pulled off. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, nice to meet you!" I received his outstretched palm and shook it, a little awkwardly.

"Tenten Fujisaki, hi."

"Hello, new kid." Naruto continued, unperturbed by my obvious discomfort. "You can sit anywhere you like, Kakashi-sensei doesn't care much for things like those." He waved towards a random direction, and I took his advice. Making my way further into the classroom, I politely returned the smiles and greetings and welcomes that went my way. Finally, I decided on an unoccupied seat two chairs from the very front. If I had a seatmate, he or she was not around yet.

"Hi." I craned my neck sideward, acknowledging the stranger seated behind me. "Nice choice."

"Excuse me?" I turned to her.

A blonde with the lightest shade of blue eyes I had ever seen smiled, rather coyly, at me, and gestured to the unoccupied space next to me. I cocked an eyebrow in response, dead curious, "Nice choice of seat." She continued, "No one has enough guts to do that." I frowned in confusion, and she extended her hand towards me. I shook it, with some difficulty, struggling to outstretch my hand from my position, "I'm Ino Yamanaka, newcomer."

_So I have a nickname now. _"Tenten Fujisaki, though you've probably gathered that since some three minutes ago." I cocked my head, referring to the horde of classmates that greeted me prior. Ino laughed slightly, nodding in agreement. "So what gives with the seat?"

"Well it's—" Ino clamped her mouth shut, and a Cheshire grin blossomed on her lips. It is a decidedly terrifying sight to behold. "Nothing. You'll find out soon enough. So where are you from?" The sudden secrecy and the consequent change of topic was a tad disconcerting, but I let it slide. I indulged Ino's curiosity, giving her a brief background of my life pre-Konoha. She was a chatterbox, a natural icebreaker. I had been talking with her for some ten minutes, but it felt like I had known her forever.

"By the way, it had been over 30 minutes. Do we have a homeroom today, or did I read my schedule wrong?" I looked over at the door and the eraser winked mischievously at me from its position atop the wooden frame. I turned away, recalling the earlier turn of events.

Ino shrugged, "He's always late but he'll—"

"Good morning, class!" The door slid open and the ominous sound of the chalkboard eraser colliding with a solid but soft surface echoed in the classroom. Whipping my head towards the commotion, I took a sharp intake of breath as the eraser tumbled from our teacher's head down his shoulder blade and finally on the floor where it landed with a soft thud, the chalk dust creating a small puff of cloud on impact. Some of the students chuckled lowly, and there was a collective sigh, followed by a strained, awkward silence. I squirmed in my seat. _Naruto, you dope…_

"_You fell for it_!" Naruto bellowed. He was beside himself with laughter, nearly falling from his seat in his mirth. My eyes widened in surprise over his reaction. _Shouldn't he be pissing in his pants right now? _"That's a classic; it never gets old!" I slowly turned to our teacher. Kakashi Hatake-sensei. He was eyeing Naruto with what was obviously not annoyance. Exasperation. Perhaps even boredom. Finally, he dusted off his shoulder and his silver hair, and robotically picked up the eraser.

Instead of replacing it on the desk, as any normal teacher would do, he hurled it towards Naruto instead, who was still laughing himself sick. His laughter abruptly subsided when the projectile connected with his forehead, square on. The class burst into chuckles, and Kakashi-sensei visibly grinned from beneath his mask. _What have I gotten myself into? _

"Right… sorry I'm late, class. I got lost in the road of life and—"

"Lies!" I didn't know which was weirder; a masked teacher saying he got lost in the road of life, or the collective reaction towards said lie. I don't think I have ever seen a class as united as my homeroom towards something or the other. I turned to Ino, and she only shrugged, smiling apologetically, a message clear in her eyes: _You'll get used to it. _I turned to Kakashi-sensei and the vibrant orange book cradled in his hands. He propped himself on the leather recliner, and met my gaze. I blushed, suddenly self-conscious, and looked down. He had a rather heavy stare.

"Hi, newcomer." _The nickname again. _"I'm Kakashi Hatake, your homeroom teacher. Would you like to introduce yourself or had the class harassed you into spilling your guts already?" Kakashi smiled again, his eyes crinkling with the action. I returned his smile politely, standing up and moving to the front of the class to make formal introductions.

"Hi, I'm Tenten Fujisaki. I'm from the Village of the hidden Cloud, Land of Lightning. I came from Kumogakure Academy for Girls. I mainly transferred here so that I may attend my dream university, the Land of Fire University. I hope we get along, I really don't want to land myself in trouble." I saw some curious looks casted my way over this, and I quickly explained myself, rather sheepishly, "Uhh… I had a reputation back home for beating the kids—girls—up when they riled me up. It was an all girls school so... well a lot of them were pretty snotty and stuck up…" I shifted from heel to heel.

Kakashi-sensei chuckled, "Then you'll fit right in with this bunch."

"Welcome to Konoha High, Fujisaki-chan!" Naruto grinned, and waved excitedly from his seat at the very back. I laughed and waved back.

* * *

"Is the president here?" Kakashi-sensei suddenly called. I turned to him from my conversation with Ino. _Who was the president? _"Sakura? You here? Tsunade-sama is demanding for some files." Kakashi continued absently, his eyes still trained on the book before him. He sounded distracted, as though he was talking to thin air. "Sakura?" Finally, he looked up. The class shrugged and shook their head, and Kakashi's shoulders slumped. "Damn, now I have to do those paperwork myself." He grumbled, thumbing through the pages. Suddenly, he perked up, "Neji? Sasuke? Shika—okay, forget that. Ino? Ino, you here?"

"I'm not doing your job for you, Kakashi-sensei." Ino replied indignantly. Kakashi sagged in displeasure again, and whined childishly.

"Kids these days aren't even willing to help out an old man."

Ino smiled at me.

* * *

"There's actually just a bunch of us in class. We don't even come up to 30. There's Sakura, the class representative. Sakura Haruno. Sasuke Uchiha is the vice president. He's a real hottie! You'll probably agree with me—no, you'll definitely be with me on that one. Shikamaru Nara is another officer, but he slacks off worse than anyone else in the class, so don't count on him on anything if you could help it. He's a real genius, though. So he could be pretty handy when the time calls for it.

"Naruto Uzumaki, you've met him, is the class clown, but he's a monster on the soccer field; soccer captain. Kiba Inuzuka, Naruto's partner in crime, he's trouble on legs, but he's pretty good in science, especially on biology. Shino Aburame, Kiba's childhood friend, he's… not so open with us. But he's a decent guy. A real wiz, too. Although he has a things for, ugh, god have mercy on his soul, _bugs_." Ino visibly shuddered, and I shared the feeling, "Hinata Hyuuga is a real sweet thing, but poor soul is too shy for her own good. But we're pretty tight. And oh, she has it bad for Naruto." Ino added, a little grimly.

"Naruto?" I raised a brow. I was not expecting that. Naruto looked like a nice guy, but I hardly think there could be anyone who could tolerate his general hyperactivity and actually come to like him. _Good on him then, I guess_.

"Yeah, she has had a crush on him for forever!" Ino giggled, "It's sweet. I'll let you in on more, later. Hinata doesn't really mind sharing. So where were we? Oh yeah, there's also Chouji Akamichi. He's my childhood friend. Shikamaru too." Ino smiled fondly, but her expression sobered quickly, "Never ever, _ever _call him fat, or anything to that effect, understand? Things will get… ugly." She shuddered, again, and I nodded in understanding. "Okay, there's also Rock Lee. He's very hyper, too, and he's always going on and on about youth. But he grows on you; bless his cotton socks.

"Sai is a little hard to put your finger on. He is a walking contradiction. He is polite but rude. Soft-spoken but blunt. Graceful but harsh. It's a little hard to explain exactly _how _Sai is, but you'll know when you talk with him. He wanted to make friends with Sakura but called her an ugly dog. It was hilarious! Sai said that he thought honesty was the first step to friendship, and so he was being honest. Sakura nearly beat him to death over it.

"Okay, next. Last year, we also had three kids transfer. Two of them are siblings, all from Sunagakure School for the Gifted. Real elite, I know. Kankuro, and Gaara of the Desert, and Matsuri. Gaara's a genius, and Matsuri, though very reclusive, is pretty smart, so they moved up a few grades. Gaara's overprotective of her, so I think they have a thing going on. They're pretty nice, especially Kankuro—he talks _a lot_. Gaara's a little… cold, though, so be warned.

"There's also Deidara. He likes to play with firecrackers, and pretty much anything else that explodes. His dad's in the army and taught him a lot about bombs. I guess that's where he gets it. He's a bit eccentric, but he can be bargained with. His best friend is Sasori; his polar opposite. Real quiet, sometimes gloomy, sometimes weird. But he's cute. And he's smart. He's fine, I guess. And there's the kid who tags along with them a lot. Tobi Uchiha; Sasuke's cousin. His older brother, Obito, is Kakashi-sensei's best buddy, you know? He likes to wear a mask, but since there's no dress code, no one bothers with him. He's probably more eccentric than Deidara, but he's easier to get along with."

"Should I steer clear from them?"

"No, no need to. You'll get along fine with everyone else. You're a real nice girl." I smiled at that, "But you need to watch out for Karin Uzumaki; Naruto's distant cousin. She's smart; I give her that. But she could get pretty nasty. She has crazy mood-swings; girl's perpetually on her period." Ino grumbled, a little unkindly. I chuckled. "Suigetsu Hozuki, he keeps on denying it, but it's pretty obvious he's head over heels for Karin. He's loud and sometimes obnoxious, a little violent and crazy on the side, but he's dependable. Jugo's his childhood friend. Quiet guy; but nice, really nice. Although…" Ino trailed off, and I eyed her expectantly. Finally, she said, "Jugo's sick. He has bipolar disorder. It doesn't come out often, but he gets pretty violent. Just don't do anything that may rile him up. No need to avoid him, though. He's a really nice kid. He just needs help."

"Does he have medications?" I asked curiously. Ino shrugged.

"I'm not one to pry on something so personal." She said. "Well, that should be—Oh! I nearly forgot. Gah, Ino, you idiot." She smacked her forehead. "Neji! I can't believe I forgot." She clicked her tongue. I cocked a brow at her. "Neji. Neji Hyuuga. The student council president. He's in our class. He's a prodigy, a genius, like Shikamaru, Sasori, Gaara, and Sasuke… and, ugh, Karin. We have a lot of geniuses, eh?" Ino grinned, clearly proud. "Neji's hot, too. A real pretty boy. But… he's a little… err… stuck up. I don't know about your types, but from what I've gathered about you, I'm guessing you're not going to like him much. He's Hinata's cousin and her polar opposite. My verdict is that you don't really have to avoid him, just be wary, and don't cross his lines. Oh, and he's in our group, so you'll see him a lot. He's close with Lee."

"Your class sounds like… a handful, doesn't it?" I mumbled carefully. Ino grinned at me. Stopping in front of her locker, she punched her code and the metal door swung open. She emptied her bag, and restacked her things. Before closing the compartment, she quickly scanned her reflection in the mirror she hanged, and shut the door once satisfied. We continued on to my locker in the next corridor. "Wow, is my locker ways from yours." I grumbled.

"Tell me about it. You have your combination?"

I tapped my forehead with my index finger, "Probably the first thing I kept in mind since coming here." Finally, we reached aisle 4, and I eyed each of the lockers, trying to locate locker B1. Counting off the alternating green and silver lockers, I finally spotted mine at the very end of the aisle. I groaned. "Whoever thought of numbering these lockers in backwards is a real genius." I grumbled in disdain.

_B1A4. _The metallic plate glinted under the fluorescent light above. I punched in my code, and the door swung open. Warm, humid air carried a musky, metallic scent and infiltrated my senses. I coughed. This locker hasn't been opened in ages. I stepped back, allowing some fresh, air-conditioned air to ventilate the compartment. Ino scrunched her nose in disapproval, and produced a bottle of perfume from her bag. "This should do the trick." After a few moments, she sprayed a small amount inside my locker, and the compartment immediately began to small better. I thanked her.

"Wow, that smelt awful." I sifted through my things and sorted them in my locker. The compartment is in dire need of redecoration, but I'll get to that one of these days. Finally, my bag is empty of my school things, save for a biology text book that probably weighed a ton, my notebook, and my pen. "Right, so I have biology next, then P.E. I—;" my eyes widened, "I don't have a P.E. uniform yet." I mumbled in horror.

"You'll likely be excused since uniforms are catered to personally. It means the school doesn't sell them." Ino said by way of explanation, "You should head down to the office of student affairs and get the schedule for the tailor so you could be fitted."

"But won't I feel out of place? I'm the only one not wearing a uniform!"

"Well, you'll stand out like a sore thumb, that's for sure…" Ino put a finger on her chin. I eyed her, pleadingly, attempting to convey my request telepathically. Ino returned my gaze impassively, but sighed after a while. "Okay, you can borrow mine." I grinned. "But you'll have to wash it, okay? I have P.E. tomorrow."

"Yes! Thanks a whole bunch, Ino!" I shook her had vigorously.

"Right. Though it'll be weird that a newcomer has a uniform already, I guess it's better than having to sit at the sidelines." She shrugged again, "Okay, I have history after this, then music, and it's lunch time." We headed back to Ino's locker and retrieved her uniform. After I profusely thanked her, we resumed our trek towards the elevators.

"I'll have lunch after P.E. too!" We continued to chat pleasantly. I'm headed for the fifth floor, and Ino was for the social studies building. I pressed both the up and down button, and waited for one of the two elevators to reach our floor. One came to a stop a minute later, and I boarded. I waved goodbye to Ino. As the metallic doors slid to a close, I felt the weight of dread settle into my stomach. I'm all on my own again. _And more than that…_

I sighed.

_Biology, here I come_

* * *

**_B~1~A~4 Oh, my beautiful target~ _****Props to anyone who got the B1A4 reference! My fellow BANAs! Virtual hugs to all of you!**

**Hooray, chapter two is over! Who here likes biology? It's not my favorite subject, but I did enjoy biology experiments the most (physics experiments often sucked for me). Besides. We all know a lot of things happen in biology, right? A lot happened to me in my class.**

**Who were you expecting would share the same class with Tenten? I have to admit that Konoha 12 is a very obvious decision, but the Sand Siblings, Taka, and Akatsuki were last minute additions I made. I didn't want to make up names, but I also need an antagonist, so, there you have them.**

**Gasp! Jugo has a serious condition? He is bipolar? Well, he really ****_is _****bipolar, so to speak. I just thought it would be fun to incorporate what is canon. Poor Jugo. And Tobi and Obito are brothers? Karin and Naruto are acknowledged as relatives? Fun fun-fiction. LOL.**

**Alright people, you know the drill! Reviews are directly proportional to updates. Hooray!**


	3. Biology

**_Chapter III: Biology_**

* * *

The elevator eased into a stop, and the doors slid open with a loud _ding_. The students filed out of the metallic compartment, and I staggered along with them, trying to catch my breath as I steeled myself for my next class. Biology. No Kurenai to walk me to it, no Ino to accompany me. I am alone, all alone. The queer feeling had bubbled into my chest, and I could not shake it off no matter what. My gut feeling is on overdrive. _Warning, warning! _Finally locating room SS501, I chanced a peek through the glass slot and, to my relief, saw no teacher figure anywhere. I slid the door open and let myself in, bowing politely to acknowledge my new classmates.

"Welcome to Biology, new student." A girl with a shock of pink hair approached me, extending her hand out amicably. I shook her hand, partly blinded by her bubblegum locks. "I am Sakura Haruno, the teacher's assistant." Sakura Haruno. Her name rang a bell.

"Fujisaki. Tenten Fujisaki." I offered.

"Yes, we've been expecting you." Sakura guided me to a set of unoccupied chairs, and I realized that as far as the day goes, I have no seatmate to speak of. "Ino told me a lot about you just recently. Girl must be sneaking a text in class." She clicked her tongue, clearly disapproving of her friend's behavior, but smiled fondly regardless. Sakura Haruno. I remembered now. Our class president. The girl Kakashi-sensei was asking for earlier. Did she play hooky? She sure doesn't look like the type to ditch class, but where was she earlier?

"That's… nice… " I took a seat, "I didn't see you in homeroom."

"The council called for a meeting, and all class reps and vice presidents were summoned." She explained, sliding into the seat across me. I took this time to scan the room, committing the faces of my classmates to the most my memory could handle. None of them were in my homeroom. It was a little sad, but Sakura looked like a girl I could get along with, and she was friends with Ino. "The substitute teacher should be here soon." She said, just as the door screeched open, and in tumbled another familiar face and one other. "Kiba, Neji, you guys are late."

Kiba Inuzuka comically fell to his knee and made a big show of kowtowing and kissing the ground and proclaiming his gratitude to the deities for not punishing him with yet another tardiness. There was a collective sigh of exasperation from the class, and I saw Sakura roll her eyes. The figure behind Kiba sidestepped him and stalked towards Sakura, handing her a file folder and mumbling something in a quick, clipped fashion. I heard soft swooning from all directions, and my attention is piqued. Chancing a quick glance at the other intruder, I have to admit that I did see what the fuss is about. Neji. Neji Hyuuga. The boy I need to wary of.

The dread from earlier lodged itself in the pits of my stomach again.

His conversation with Sakura had concluded, and he turned to my general direction. _No way. _Closing the short gap between Sakura's seat and mine, he regarded me with a small, curt nod, and gracefully took his rightful position that should be smack next to me. I felt the hairs at the back of my neck stand in attention. A ridiculous amount of malicious glares was sent my way, and the back of my head prickled with the unwarranted attention.

"Hello, Mr. Student Council President." I said, simply out of politeness. Neji turned to me, his expression impassive and unreadable, and extended his palm. I am now under the impression that this is standard protocol when greeting newcomers—that, and hurling chalkboard erasers at them, in Naruto's book. "I'm Fujisaki, your new seatmate, apparently."

"Yes, welcome Tenten Fujisaki-san. We've heard a little about you." Neji nodded again, and the conversation abruptly ended. There was a pregnant pause that followed the sudden conclusion, and I squirmed in my seat in discomfort. Finally, I decided to doodle my nerves away, and fished for my notebook and pen. I leafed to the last page and began mindlessly scrawling; little stick figures at first, were gradually brought to more 2-dimensional life, with each new stroke I added. I ended up sketching Kiba Inuzuka's earlier display of melodrama, and laughed a little to myself. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed Neji Hyuuga crane his neck, ever so slightly, towards me. I frowned, feeling embarrassed.

"Uh… so is the teacher normally late, or…" I trailed off, glancing at the doorframe. Neji turned to me, and I shrunk under his gaze.

"No." He said simply. I nodded, and resumed my earlier task, when he spoke again, "I believe we are getting a substitute teacher today. Our old teacher has her circumstances, it seems." He added by way of explanation. I graced him with a soft _I see _and turned back to my doodles. Talking with him is suffocating. Just sitting next to him is suffocating. Neji Hyuuga is everything a student council president should be; pristine, immaculately dressed, and carries himself with pride and authority. He has a strict, no-nonsense vibe to him, and his calculating, opalescent eyes give the impression that he is perpetually judging everybody, i.e., me.

Ever so slightly, I moved my chair farther away from him. I could now see where Ino was coming from. The guy definitely needed to be watched out for.

* * *

_Seven minutes. Only seven minutes more._

The door slid open again, and another familiar figure stepped in. My eyes widened in recognition, and our gazes met briefly. He sent a small, private smile my way in acknowledgement. Stepping onto the built-in podium, he cleared his throat and commanded the class' attention. "Hello. Unfortunately, from hereon, Kurenai-sensei can no longer supervise this class. I am her husband, Asuma Sarutobi, and I will be your new Biology teacher, in her stead. I'm sorry I couldn't meet you today; this was all very last minute. I hope we could actually get back on the lessons the next time we meet. That will be all; you're dismissed." Gathering my belongings, I could feel Neji Hyuuga hovering close to me. I dismissed the queasy feeling brewing in my stomach, and focused, desperately, on the task at hand. I was suddenly hyperaware of our proximity. "Fujisaki."

I lifted my head, a tad too abruptly, and reeled from the wooziness that followed. "Yes?" Asuma motioned for me to come over, and I happily obliged. I attempted to sidestep Neji Hyuuga, but between his lean frame and the table right behind us, there was only so much space I could maneuver in. Making absolutely zero contact with him was impossible, and I pressed my hands against his back as I tried to get past his human barricade. "Sorry, excuse me." I mumbled meekly, struggling to free myself from his confinement.

"_I'll be waiting for you._" I froze on my spot, rigged and sweating. My hands were clammy, and my heart was beating erratically. Asuma hopped off the podium, meeting me halfway, and planted his hands on my shoulders. I snapped out of my reverie, acutely aware of Neji Hyuuga bidding the teacher goodbye, and filing out of the classroom. He purposely brushed past my frame. I swallowed the ridiculous amount of trepidation our little contact has built up.

"Tenten! I—are you okay?" I nodded mutely, gathering my wits. With a shaky sigh, I said,

"Asuma, dang! You didn't tell me you were a teacher here!" I smiled, quelling the feeling that was rapidly taking over my senses. Asuma grinned, and his mirth was infectious. My fear ebbed slightly, and I sagged in relief, relaxing to his presence. "I had no idea I'd end up with my Auntie being, potentially, my teacher, either. She never told me I would have been in her class." _Sneaky woman; she probably wanted to surprise the living daylights out of me._

"I know. We need to do a lot of catching up, son." He slung an arm around my shoulders paternally, and guided me over to the desk. "Although probably not now." He grumbled, fishing his phone from his pocket. Asuma's eyebrows crunched in dismay, and he pocketed his device again. "Sorry I wasn't there to pick you up. I had to finalize Kurenai's papers. The baby is giving her a lot of trouble, already." He smiled sheepishly. "I'll see you at dinner, Ten! We'll talk over Xbox?" I grinned in affirmation. He kissed the top of my head, slid the door open, and roughly shoved me outside. As I turned back, I could see him excitedly waving in dismissal, and I waved back.

The door suddenly slid close. An ominous presence loomed behind me. "I said I would wait."

"Neji… hi…"

* * *

"As an officer of the student council, it is my duty to make sure that new students are settled comfortably in the school." Neji explained monotonously, dully, as he led me around a series of corridors. I nodded in understanding, gripping the straps of my rucksack tighter. "How are you liking Konoha High so far?" He asked, stopping in his tracks, and turned to me. I broke out in cold sweat, suddenly put on the spot. I shifted form heel to heel, and bit my lip in anxiety. Neji's eyes followed each movement sharply, almost reverently. I blushed profusely, and his lips tugged upward in a smirk.

"It's… nice." I said simply, stepping forward, away from him. He followed suit. "I… I hope I'll love—I mean, I _know _I'll love—like it here." I stumbled over my words. _Damn it! _We rounded up another corridor, and Neji dutifully noted the important rooms that I need to remember; stock room, Chemistry lab room, Physics lab room, mini-library, washrooms, emergency staircases, et cetera, et cetera. On the last corridor we turned to, we came upon a dead end. I froze in my tracks. Neji stopped as well. He turned to me, ever so slightly, and regarded me impassively. His poker face was perfect, giving nothing away. I spun on my heel, hastily, uneasily. "Great, I have P.E. with Mr. Maito Gai next, so I should go."

"He's not going to be around." His cold voice reverberated in the hallow hallway. "There is a teacher's meeting, shouldn't you have gathered that by now?" there was a hint of disdain in his voice, and he stepped closer to me. _Oh no. _I felt his warm, warm palm on my shoulder blade, and I felt the pressure as he squeezed his fingers against the fabric of my shirt. "Asuma-sensei was likely only allowed to inform the class of the changes." He did not remove his hand. Instead, he stepped closer, until he was a hair's width away from me. Heat exploded from where he is closest to me. Save for his hand on my shoulder, there were no other points of contact between us. He was not touching me.

"That's great." I whispered. "I need to return my friend's P.E. uniform, and drop by the student's affairs office." My voice did not waver, and instead bled steely resolve and confidence that I did not feel. "Thank you for the tour, Mr. President. I shall head off first then. I believe you have more important things to attend to than an…" I trailed off. I surprised myself, more so when I shrugged Neji's hand from my shoulders, and briskly walked away from him. I could feel his gaze on my person, heavy and unwavering, and as soon as I walked the length of the corridor, positive I was no longer in his peripheral vision, broke into a sprint, blindly headed for the elevators. I rapidly pressed the down button, silently praying for the contraption to arrive faster.

Was this how the people in horror movies felt? I could feel the cold sweat trickling down my forehead, my cheeks, my neck and nape. The elevators mercifully arrived on my floor, and the doors slid open. The motion was slow, too painfully slow for me, and I subjected the down button to another round of merciless pushing. At last, the metallic doors slid apart, and I quickly stepped in. Immediately, I pressed the button for the ground floor, and released a sigh of relief as the doors begin to slide close.

_That was close. _

But a hand suddenly shot up from beyond the cold metal gates, and the doors were pried apart once again. My eyes widened, and my blood turned cold. _No. _

In stepped Neji Hyuuga.

"Ground floor, please."

_Yes, this guy definitely needed to be watched out for._

* * *

**K-pop reference of the chapter: SS501! Did you get the reference? Yay, my fellow Triple S'! So what does SS501 stand for? Science ****_something _****501. I can't whip up something decent enough to stand for the second S, but SS501 is the first room on the fifth floor of the science building (science section? I don't know. You pick.)**

**Oh noez! What's going on between Neji and Tenten? Why is Neji being especially antagonistic towards her? And why the hell does this feel like a suspense/thriller/horror story all of a sudden? LOL. Did you feel the adrenaline, people? No? ****_/Sobs._**

**Anyway. This chapter was remarkably shorter than the first two, because there wasn't as much going on here. I don't like to spoil the fun by delving further into NejiTen's relationship, so I'm going to have to cut the story where I left it. I hope you hang on tight!**

**You know the drill, right? Reviews, please!**


	4. Dismissal

**_Chapter IV: Dismissal_**

* * *

True to Neji Hyuuga's words, there were no P.E. classes.

In fact, there were no more classes for the rest of the day.

The disembodied voice of the woman boomed from the P.A. system installed in the elevator. I turned to the metallic box, hanging on to her every word, while my companion opted to try to melt me with his nonexistent heat vision. Neji's gaze was unwavering, and firmly planted on my person. I felt the sweat trickle down from my forehead, but I dutifully ignored it, as I had with him. "_Good morning, students. An emergency meeting had been called by the board of directors, asking for the audience of all your teachers. Classes are suspended for the rest of the day. Please remember not to loiter…_

"I was right, wasn't I?" Neji chuckled, crossing his arms across his chest. I unconsciously observed the movement, carefully trailing my gaze after his strong, strong arms, and his muscular chest, well defined beneath the fabric of his sweater. "Just as I had always been right with…" He trailed off. My head whipped upwards, and I glowered at him. Finally, the elevators skidded to a halt, and the doors began to open. As we disembarked, I grabbed Neji's arm and forced him towards me.

"What is your problem?" I seethed, unable to tolerate his antagonisms any longer. I stomped my foot, unconsciously, in an effort to emphasize my point. Neji's poker face was shattered. He returned my glower with far more malice than a person you only met some one hour ago should have. I was caught off guard, but held my ground. He was being unfair, and rash, and here is where I draw the line. "Look, I don't know what poor creature lodged itself up in your ass and died there, but I don't think you should be taking it out on me!" I hissed.

Neji's eyes widened by a fraction, but he quickly remembered himself. Narrowing those pale, pale lavender eyes at me, he said in a low, menacing tone, "I—"

"Tenten!" I quickly relinquished my iron grip on Neji's forearm, and stepped away from him. Ino bounced over to us, with Sakura and a familiar girl in tow. "Tenten, this is Hinata. She wants us to come over to her place. Are you free this afternoon?" I smiled, ready to accept her offer, when Mr. Devil Incarnate stepped from behind me and made himself known.

"Hinata-sama." He said fluidly, "Will you need me to escort the lot of you?" I stiffened. Neji and Hinata were cousins. And they live under the same roof. I could not possibly visit the Hyuugas any longer. I turned to glare at him, but his gaze was fixed on Hinata.

"Actually," I cut in, "I don't think I could—;" I saw Ino's eyes perk up in hopefulness. Sakura gave me an encouraging smile, and Hinata was beaming with honest excitement. I choked on my words. I cannot decline. I felt Neji's glare on the back of my head and realized at once that he likely does not want me in his property any more than I would want to be there myself. An idea brewed and clicked in my head, and I craned my neck to look him square in the eye. I smiled, benevolently, innocently, at him, "I don't think I could pass up an offer like that." I turned back to the girls, "Alright, I'll just drop by my locker first and I'll meet you guys in, let's say, ten?" They nodded.

"Here's my number." I fished for my phone and dutifully saved Ino's digits. We said our goodbyes, and I headed back for the elevators. Until I was safely inside the metal contraption and the doors slid to a close behind me, I could feel Neji's gaze boring a hole on the back of my skull. I shuddered.

* * *

"Hello? Auntie, yeah, my new friend asked me to—what? _Of course I can make friends!_—yeah, I don't know about dinner, but I'm likely not going to make it. I'll call you if I could or could not. Hinata… Hyuuga? Yes. Hinata Hyuuga. Your—? Really? Wow! Cool. Okay, I'll talk to you later, bye."

_Click._

* * *

I found the girls and the Devil Incarnate lounging about in one of the plush couches on the lobby of the science building. I announced my presence, and they stood, prepared to leave. Neji led us to the parking lot, past rows and rows of fancy cars, and finally stopped before a sleek, black Ferrari. Boarding the vehicle, he eased it out of its slot. Hinata opened her door, motioning for us to follow suit. Once settled, Ino began, in her usual chipper tone, to talk. Sakura was surprisingly a chatterbox herself, and much _girly talk _was parried between the two of them. I listened with interest to their conversation, and occasionally gave my input when called for it. Neji had not said a word nor made a sound.

"How was life back in the Land of Lightning for you, Tenten?" Hinata asked conversationally, glancing at me from her seat in front. I shrugged.

"It was fun." I said, "I mean it rained a lot, so most of the time it puts a damper on everybody's mood, but you get used to it. Our village leader is strict but his brother is quite eccentric. My dad is in the government, so I get to see the Raikage's brother, Bee-san, often. We played a lot." I launched into a brief but detailed explanation of my life, pre-Konoha. They listened and offered comments here and there. At last, we pulled up in front of massive gates bearing the character _Hyuuga. _Neji rolled down the car window, and spoke on the intercom.

"Neji Hyuuga. _The bird is caged by its destiny_." A password? Seconds later, and the colossal double gates slid apart. Neji drove forward, and around the handsome garden, until he found a suitable parking space at the back of the compound. We detached ourselves from the vehicle, and I stretched my limbs a little. "I shall be in my wing if you need me." He nodded politely to Hinata and disappeared without another word. He did, however, look back and pointedly glare at me before he disappeared into the massive edifice's back door. As soon as he was gone, I turned to Hinata.

"Forgive me if I'm too forward, but why is your cousin such an ass? And what is up with that stiff formality?" Ino and Sakura laughed, sharing a high five. Hinata smiled, not unkindly.

"Neji-nii-san is from the Branch House." Hinata began, ushering us inside the mansion through the same route her cousin had taken. She led us through a series of corridors, and stopped in the receiving room. The place is colossal, embellished by an array of lavish decors—massive paintings, expensive vases, and extravagant furniture. We decided on a comfortable spot by one of the long couches, and a butler attended to us. "Since time immemorial, the Hyuugas have always had a bifurcated system dividing the clan—the Main House, that is where I hail from, and the Branch House, where Neji-nii-san is.

"Originally, the duty of the Branch House is to protect the members of the Main House, where leaders and powerful men are raised. The Hyuugas are one of the pillars that support Konoha and, consequently, the Land of Fire itself. This had gone on since the ancient times, possibly even around the founding of Konoha itself.

"The Hyuugas have had many traditions that are… not necessarily fair to all concerned. Usually, the Branch House is subject to the shorter end of the proverbial stick. Circumstances have molded my nii-san into who he is now. But Father, as head of the Hyuuga clan, is working to abolish such law, now. I only hope that the elders will side with him." Hinata finished, as we consumed our treats. I nibbled on the delicious cookies, occasionally downing it with a glass of orange juice. The Hyuuga clan… the sudden influx of information is too much to take in at once, and I sat in silence, attempting to digest it.

_But not once had he…_

As we finished our course, Hinata guided us through a spiraling flight of stairs and rounded up some corridors, until we reached another set of massive double doors, bearing the characters of _Main House _in golden strokes. Two guards flanked either side of the entrance, and upon the sight of Hinata, immediately prodded open the gigantic wooden doors. Hinata led us inside the main house's wing, until we reached a hallway adorned only by three doors. "Ummm… this is my corridor…" she mumbled sheepishly, kneading her fingers and twirling the hem of her shirt. "And this is my room…" She led us to one side of the corridor where a lone, violet door stood in contrast to the sterile white walls. Pushing it open, she allowed us in.

Hinata's room is easily two times the size of our homeroom. I gaped, unaccustomed to luxury of this degree. Ino happily lunged for Hinata's scattered beanbags, giggling to herself. Sakura opted for Hinata's queen bed, and hugged and hogged her pillows. I stood awkwardly by the doorframe, taking in the sight that is Hinata's bedroom.

My mother had never brought me up in such luxury. I had only known of our wealth and actual status on the social pyramid very recently. She had always taught me to be frugal, to be wise with my money, and to never spend unnecessarily. I had never known luxury the way Hinata was brought up in. "Uhh… wow. Your room is… awesome." I said. Ino smiled sympathetically.

"It's a lot to take in, I know." She sat up and propped herself on her elbows, "The Hyuugas are a filthy rich bunch, eh?" She smirked at Hinata, who smiled shyly in return.

"Yeah, no kidding." I breathed out. I walked around, observing each and every nook and cranny of Hinata's room bared for me to see. I occasionally picked objects up, asking what they are, who they are from, where they are from. Sometimes I stopped at pictures. Who are they? Where was this? When was this? _Is this Neji? _"Hinata?"

Hinata glanced up from her conversation with Sakura, "Yes?"

"Was this Neji?" I held up the metallic frame. Hinata's eyes widened in alarm for a fraction of a second, and she nodded.

"Yeah…" she said, tentative, reluctant. I replaced the picture on the shelf, and resumed my little sleuthing. _Then that must be… _After I had finally rounded the expanse of her room, I padded over to the girls, and slid next to Hinata. Ino had fallen asleep and was snoring softly in her fort of beanbags. Sakura was smirking at a beet-red Hinata, who was flailing her palms wildly, attempting to dissuade Sakura from something-or-the-other. I joined in. "What's up?"

"Oh yes, Hinata, why don't you tell us _what's up_?" Sakura probed meaningfully. Hinata blushed to the roots of her hair. I nudged Sakura's leg, giving her a questioning look, and she turned her Cheshire grin at me. "Tenten, did you know that Hinata has—"

"Sakura-chan!"

"—this massive crush on Naruto Uzumaki?"

I blinked in surprise. Hinata's outburst was rather passionate, and she all but lunged at Sakura as she relayed this valued piece of information. Sakura's eyes gleamed in excitement, easily thwarting Hinata's attempts of keeping her quiet, by holding the latter at arm's length. "Well… yeah, Ino told me." I grumbled dispassionately. I gauged Sakura's reaction to my lukewarm response. Her face fell for the briefest of moments, but her Cheshire grin was in tact, just as soon.

"Figures. The whole world practically knows it." Sakura sighed melodramatically. Hinata has resigned to fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, and boring holes on the floor. The poor soul. "But did you know that Naruto might actually return her feelings?" my eyes widened, and I glanced at Hinata on impulse. Her face aflame, and brighter than ever, she screwed her eyes shut, and slapped her palms against her cheeks. I grinned cheekily, deciding against nudging her meaningfully to spare her from the embarrassment. I shared a look with Sakura.

"Oh, and what makes you say that?" I challenged, "Hinata is a really sweet girl, but I don't think Naruto is a guy who is quick on the uptake." I noted. Sakura cocked an eyebrow.

"How did you know?" There was a hint of skepticism in her voice.

"I…" I struggled to explain. How _did _I know? I simply did. I decided that honesty was the best course of action, "I don't really know _how _I know. He was exuding the 'I'm the densest guy on Earth' vibes, Sakura. Come on, even a blind person could have seen it from a mile away." I shrugged casually, using air quotes to emphasize my point. Sakura regarded me with curiosity, but nodded sagely.

"You have a point." Hinata peeked from her fingers, and Sakura bit her lip, struggling to keep a face-splitting grin at bay and failing miserably. "But I think there's more to him than what meets the eye. Naruto and I practically grew up together, so I know, occasionally, he's not as transparent as we take him for." She grinned at Hinata, "And I think _someone _knows _what _exactly is going on _behind closed doors_." I laughed, loudly, heartily, and uncontrollably.

Hinata moaned hopelessly. Over my rambunctious mirth, Ino stirred, and woke up with a groan. She glared at me, disheveled and incoherent, and my mirth ebbed slightly. I eventually dissolved into quiet giggles. Hinata buried herself beneath her pillows and beanbags, and Sakura launched into a lengthy explanation, justifying her theory that a secret romantic relationship has blossomed between sweet, shy Hinata, and loudmouthed Naruto.

"She slapped him once, you know." Sakura said. Ino scrambled off her soft, cushiony fort, and clambered next to Sakura. No longer disoriented, Ino offered her own inputs on the "NaruHina theory" (as they have taken to calling it), which somehow made actual, realistic sense (and not just a blather rumors and exaggerations) to me. I listened with keen interest, but from the corner of my eyes, noticed that Hinata seemed quite riveted as well with their extensive anecdote of her love life. "It was in junior year of middle school, when Naruto first lost a game. He was out of it, even and especially for someone as bubbly as Naruto. I think it was because Neji got seriously injured over the game. Naruto thinks it's his fault."

"It _was _partly his fault, charging head on like that." Ino commented. "The bottom line is that Naruto was pretty miffed about losing the game; to _Akatsuki_, no less. They're _Shinobi_'s eternal rivals. He started acting weird, moping around, and being all woe-is-me. We tried to cheer him up, but he woe-is-me'd on us. His parents tried to comfort him, but he went woe-is-me on them. Even when Iruka-sensei offered to treat him to ramen—and Naruto thinks the _world _of ramen—he _still _went all woe-is-me on him. It was a whole mess of woe-is-me-ing." Ino finished with a flourish of her hand. "Only Hinata was able to knock him out of his woe-is-me-ing. I mean, he was on a roll! And then Hinata bitch-slapped some sense to him, but she suddenly changed from being Miss-I-ain't-taking-no-woe-is-me-shit-from-you to I-care-so-much-about-you-so-please-don't-be-sad in a moment. She even caressed his cheek!" Sakura and I stared at her.

"Thanks for your input, Ino. That was a very intelligent way of putting it." Sakura smirked in disdain.

"I had a dream about Shakespeare." Ino whispered conspiratorially, her eyes darting about, back and forth.

"Ino, 'woe is me' is not Shakespearean. It's from the Catholic bible." I commented. Ino glared at me warily, rolled her eyes, and flopped on the bed.

"I'm coming down with a headache." She grumbled.

"Anyway, guys, who wants to watch a movie?" Hinata called, standing up, and clapping her hands to get our attention. I raised my hand.

"Can we watch _Ted_?" I grinned.

"I'm not sure I have that one. I think Neji-nii-san has it, though. He usually does."

"He keeps an inventory of the latest movies, Tenten." Sakura said by way of explanation. "And speaking of _Neji_... that reminds me. You two were pretty chill with each other. _Even _back in Biology. Alright, what gives?" Hinata sat beside me, smiling at me sympathetically. _Welcome to the club. _

"Can we talk this over _Ted_?" I pleaded, eyeing the violet door with longing.

"What would be the point of watching a movie then?" Ino grumbled, her voice muffled by a pillow on her face. "Besides, Tenten, we caught you in a pretty heated moment, too, now that Forehead mentioned it." She sat up, setting aside her fluffy companion, and opting to cross her arms across her chest. They zeroed their anticipating gazes on me, and I nearly broke out in cold sweat. Suddenly put on the spot, I stood up, reflexively, to defend myself. Offense is usually the best defense, right?

"Hey, look, the guy has a stick up his ass, and I'm just trying to make a world a better place, alright?" Their eyebrows arched simultaneously in an uncanny display of coordination. In any other situation, it would have been hilarious. I shuffled on the balls of my feet, instinctively moving away from them. A firm knock on the door resounded within the room, and I all but ran to it, thankful for the intervention. "Hey, Hinata you—whoa."

"Is Hinata there?"

"_Sasuke_?"

Sasuke? Sasuke Uchiha? Ino was spot on. He was one fine piece of the male specie.

* * *

**K-pop reference of the chapter: ****_Eyyy gurl~ I'm rolling down mah sexy car window~ _****Alright, so this isn't as blatant homage to a K-pop group as the previous ones, but it still is. You don't literally "roll" down a Ferrari car window, but I wanted to incorporate the term. EatYourKimchi, JYJ Nasty-Cassies, did you get my reference? Props to you if you did!**

**Did you guys see what I did there? The NaruHina slap has made its way on my fan-fic! Hooray! That slap (and consequent affectionate cheek-rubbing) was all sorts of epic. In fact, insofar as my experience with shounen manga slapping is concerned, they're all pretty epic. Orihime's slap on Ulquiorra was sweet and fluffy. Erza's slap for Jellal led to all kinds of things (mostly). And now Hinata's slap had merited a "thank you, Hinata", and a plethora of sweet and fluffy moments (that "thank you" had not better be a telltale sign of a friend-zone, Kishimoto!). Shounen manga slapping is beginning to take a different light for me.**

**On a side note, this chapter didn't have much going around—or is it? Keep your eyes peeled, folks!—so it was more or less just a filler chapter. Sasuke has finally appeared! I usually like the idea of using Sasuke as a third party for the NejiTen coupling, but I solidly ship SasuSaku, so maybe I'm not going to use his character for that. I have a lot of single guys at my disposal anyway (hoho, I'm looking at you Deidara, Sasori, Kankuro, Kiba. ****_/Wink, wink_****)**

**As always, reviews make me happy. Ciao! **


	5. Dinner

**_Chapter V: Dinner_**

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha is, for a lack of a better term, _hot_.

He embodies the definition of "hot"—conventional or otherwise. Neji Hyuuga should have been right there with him on the "hot" pedestal, if only he wasn't so much of an asshole. Sasuke stood before me with his hands in his pockets, regarding me with a perfect poker face on. I quickly moved to the side, gesturing for him to allow himself in, and not trusting my mind and voice box to be in sync at the moment. I made a mental note to apologize to Hinata for this intrusion on a later date, when my wits are not scattered about any more.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here?" Sakura asked, sitting primly. The sudden shift in her attitude did not go unnoticed by me, and I surreptitiously slid next to Ino, pulling her aside for a private conversation. As we retreated to a corner, I noticed that while Sasuke's original intent was, supposed to be, Hinata, he gravitated to Sakura like a moth to a light. _The mind boggles_.

"Ino, you were right." I whispered, "He _is _hot! But—is there something going on between him and Sakura? And don't tell me there's nothing because the sexual tension between them is so thick, anyone could cut through it with a knife."

Ino grinned, "Sakura doesn't like to talk about it much, but she and Sasuke used to have this _thing _going on years back." Ino craned her neck backwards, and, deciding it is unsafe, chose to move our conversation outside. She signaled to Hinata with her fingers, and Hinata nodded in understanding. Closing the door behind her, she leaned against the wooden frame. "I don't really know if they actually _dated_, because heaven knows we were still so young back then. Sasuke and his family moved to Otogakure during our middle school years. Sakura was heartbroken."

"So is he trying to make it up to her? Then why is she thwarting his advances?"

Ino's eyebrows shot up. "You're really sharp, Tenten. How did you pick that up?" I shrugged.

"It was obvious." Ino kept her gaze at me, and I suddenly felt there was a need to explain myself. "You could usually tell a myriad of stories from a person's body language alone. Sakura made a conscious effort of keeping her cool around Sasuke, and it made it obvious that she is not comfortable around him. But the fact that she _wants _to _appear _casual around him says that she does not want him to be the superior figure in whatever game they—or she, actually, is playing. Sasuke said that he was meaning for Hinata, but was drawn to Sakura like a black hole." I shrugged again, crossing my arms across my chest, "Things like body language are basic street smarts, Ino."

"Well, I've always been a book smart kind of person." Ino said, "But that was still a very impressive, and spot-on deduction. Right. There is something going on between them. I don't know if it has been resolved—"

"It likely isn't."

"Probably. But that's for them to know, and us to find out—eventually."

"It's too bad Sasuke's off the market. He's quite the catch. But he's really taken with Sakura. I hope they patch things up." Ino smirked knowingly.

"I feel for you." She pivoted, and opened the door, "C'mon, let's head back in."

* * *

"I don't have one. We were actually going to borrow from him." Hinata stood up from where she knelt before her entertainment system. Disk cases were strewn on the floor, while she hunted for a film. "By the way, Sasuke-san, this is Tenten Fujisaki. Our new classmate." Hinata gestured to me. I bowed politely.

"I've gathered as much." He shrugged offhandedly, looking at me squarely. I cocked an eyebrow in response. _The hard-to-get kind of guy, huh. _He has good looks, but he is desperately lacking in the personality department.

"Pleasure to meet you as well." _Prick. _"You are a real sunny person. I pity the poor creature that found residence in your arctic ass." He stiffened, clearly caught off guard by my less-than-welcoming (soon-to-be trademark) reply, but I turned away from him, helping Hinata clear her mess. I picked an arbitrary CD case and scanned the title. I proffered it to her. "Let's watch this!"

"_The Bourne Identity. _Well, I don't see why not."

"You look like a tough girl. Why not this, instead?" Sasuke Uchiha retrieved another case from the mess and held it out for me to see. _The Human Centipede. _I turned to Hinata, incredulous.

"Why do you have a copy of that movie?"

Hinata blushed. "I… I like those… kinds of movies… am I… am I weird?" she stuttered, self-consciously tending to the CDs once again.

"No. I think you're pretty badass." Her head whipped up, and she smiled kindly at me. I smiled back. Glancing at Sasuke Uchiha, I smirked at him. "Challenge accepted, Uchiha-kun. Let's hope you don't live up to your hairstyle and chicken out halfway through the film." He had the grace to look affronted, which I immediately laughed at. Obviously irritated, Sasuke asked for Hinata's permission, and stalked off as soon as he got the affirmative, taking the fateful CD case with him. As the door was slammed to a brutal close, Ino fell on the bed, beside herself with laughter. Sakura was giggling uncontrollably, and even Hinata had her share of chuckles.

"Oh my god!" Ino managed to squeeze in between her laughter, "No one has _ever _stood up to Sasuke-kun like that since Naruto! Tenten, you're my hero!" And she dissolved in another fit of uncontrollable giggles.

"Well you know, since coming to Konoha High, I'm becoming more and more well-versed in the art of pulling the rug under egoistic assholes like those." I sneered as I finally finished with the chore. Hinata thanked me, and slid the glass compartment shut. "Alright, now let's go show those hussies who's the boss around here."

"Wow, Tenten. When I first met you, I thought you had spunk. Now I know you probably have more balls than most guys I've ever met." Sakura shook her head, smiling widely. "I really like you. I think the lot of us can get along just fine. Best friends?" I would say that that had escalated quickly (because how can you become best friends in a span of five or six hours if you are over the age of five?) but I could honestly see the truth in her words. I do feel very warmly towards them, and I could foresee a future of being the best of friends with the lot of them. Cheesy as it may sound, but I shared her sentiments.

"Of course." I agreed, wholeheartedly.

* * *

Hinata led us to the basement that housed a miniature theatre. All forms of entertainment systems were incorporated in the expansive room. This, at least, I have had some experience with (in comparison to owning a corridor and/or wing to yourself). My father is a huge gaming geek and my mother is overly fond of her sappy movies, so an over-the-top entertainment room should fit in the equation. In the lounge, we met with our homeroom classmates, and I re-introduced and re-acquainted myself with them. Naruto, as was his chipper nature, bounced over to us as soon as we entered, and excitedly talked with me.

Kiba followed suit, grinning a little wolfishly, if not flirtatiously, at me. I flirted right back, honest to goodness enjoying his attention. His company was considerably warmer than most male companies I have been graced with thus far, I mean (with the exception of Naruto, of course). Lee is a little too passionate for me, but it was a refreshing change (again, from my _extensive _experience conversing with Konoha men), and, true to Ino's words, he did grow on me. Shino was a little unconventional, in the hard-to-approach kind of way, but he is bearable, and very polite as well.

Chouji offered us chips, but the dangerous glint in his eyes was obvious red lights to anyone, so we politely declined. Shikamaru had not bothered to stand nor sit up from where he was sprawled comfortably on one of the couches. He instead waved a hand at us and called out his greetings. This earned him a bonk on the head from Ino, which in turn snowballed into a rather heated argument on troublesome women and lazy ass men.

Finally, another [unwelcomed] presence welcomed himself into the room, carrying with him an armful of CD cases, and depositing them on a nearby countertop. Our eyes locked, and a heated, lightning-induced glare was shared between the two of us, before I broke the eye contact and settled in between Lee, and Kiba. "Tenten-san, where does a youthful flower such as yourself hail from?" Lee asked excitedly.

"I'm from the Land of Lightning, Lee. And please call me Tenten." We exchanged pleasant chatters, as more and more of my homeroom classmates poured into the conversation, excitedly asking me questions here and there. At last, the dreaded question was finally brought up.

"So Tenten, do you have a boyfriend?" Ino asked, a tad coyly.

"… I don't." I sighed. Seventeen already, and not once had been in any sort of romantic relationship at all. In hindsight, it was likely due to the ostensive lack of feminine charms and/or sexual appeal that kept me from seeing anyone. Most of my friends back home had at least _some _admirers wagging their tails at them, but I never had any boy look at me in the least bit romantic. I groaned, scrunching my eyes shut. "I never had any, okay?"

"You poor thing." Sakura said sympathetically, patting my shoulders. "It's better to reserve your heart for someone who could actually take care of it, than proffer it to every other boy that catches your eye, though." She mumbled bitterly, and the cold quality to her voice sent the conversation plummeting to arctic awkwardness. There was a collective squirming in seats as Sasuke stood up and headed over to one of the popcorn stalls. Sakura kept her eyes trained on him for a long while. A pregnant pause cradled us.

"So… _The Human Centipede_? Anyone here has seen it?" Kiba picked up the discarded case and brought it closer to him for inspection.

"I've seen it." Shino spoke, "It is quite insulting to the centipedes, if I may say so."

"I think it's more insulting to the human physiology, but I guess we have different views of the world." I shrugged, leaning closer to Kiba to read the summary on the back. He readily offered it to me.

"I think it has a very nice artistic quality to it." An unfamiliar voice spoke from the doorway, and we turned to the newcomer. His voice was unfamiliar, but his face was otherwise. Another homeroom classmate. "Hello, Fujisaki-san. I'm Sai." He padded closer to us as I stood up, and extended his hand at me. I shook it.

"Pleasure to meet you. Call me Tenten." Sai cocked his head to the side, eyeing me curiously. I shifted, a little uncomfortable under his scrutiny, but said nothing. Finally, Sai spoke.

"Okay. May I call you Buns?"

Several groans resonated from behind me. "Ugh, Sai, enough with your nicknames!" Naruto drawled in annoyance. My hands instinctively flew to my hair, and to the childish buns I love to keep them in. Self-consciously, I tucked a loose strand behind my ear, and sat back down.

"Thanks, I guess." Sai regarded me, curiously again.

"I wasn't talking about your hair, but it works fine as well I guess." I blushed ten-fold as the implications of his words hit home. Kiba and Naruto laughed rambunctiously, sharing a high-five at my expense. Lee looked clueless, asking Shino for some input on the matter, which the latter mercifully did not deign an answer to. Ino and Sakura groaned. Hinata smiled at me, perhaps condensing (unlikely), perhaps sympathetic.

Bee-san had taught me that boys who make a pass at me were boys waiting to have hell served to them on a silver platter (I'm pretty sure there was more to his rapping than that, but I couldn't remember the rest of his _enka_-inspired rhymes). Girls dressed primly from all-girl schools are often subject to lewd comments and all forms of perversions from boys of their brother school, and so I had learned to man up and show them who's boss. But Sai had looked as honest as an innocent toddler, and even his voice held no malice. This must be what Ino meant by a walking mass of contradiction. It was an honest observation, not a pass or anything of the like. I couldn't find it in me to hit someone so… so… _so obnoxiously casual and innocent._

"Thanks… again, I guess." I shrugged, finally reigning on my embarrassment, "Just… don't make weird comments like those in the future. People will misunderstand." Sai hummed, considering my advice. He took a seat on an unoccupied armchair and kept quiet since.

"If you are done flirting, the movie is ready." Neji called gruffly. We stood up and filed inside the miniature cinema. Before the lights dimmed, Hinata handed each one of us a bucket of popcorn and a can of soda. I was looking for a seat, when I felt a disembodied hand usurp me and roughly pulled me out of the aisle I was in.

"Hey, what gives?"

"You're sitting here." Ino roughly shoved me down an empty chair and skipped out of the aisle. A little disoriented, I failed to assert my rights until I realized it was too late. The Devil Incarnate sat next to me, nodding in acknowledgement. I scooted away from him as humanely possible, but Neji said nothing on the matter. The lights dimmed, as a series of commercials played out.

"Neat place you got here." I said conversationally, because I've been meaning to comment on the pad for a while now. Neji shrugged, and I took this time to continue. "So… Loveseats, huh." I glanced at him again, "I never imagined someone would actually willingly subject themselves to two hours of torture sitting next to you."

"I never brought anyone down here with me." He said simply. "Besides, the middle row have seats of four, if it isn't obvious." He gestured to the seats occupied by Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji's massive bags of chips, and Chouji. I swept my gaze around the room, my only source of light being the projector. I could not discern Hinata's face clearly, but she was huddled closely to Naruto on one of the loveseats on the other side of the theater. I smiled. Kiba and Shino sat with popcorn bags between them on the middle row. Lee sat ahead of us, alone in his loveseat. Sai opted to have one of the middle aisles all to himself. Sakura was sitting alone on a loveseat, with Sasuke occupying the one behind her. _He'll come around._

"Figures. What you said first, I mean." I munched on popcorn as the last few commercials began to roll. "Hey, look Neji…"

"What?"

"Uh… I know we had a rough start, but…" I swallowed, deciding against spewing excuses. If I want to be on good terms, I might as well come out honestly. "But I want to patch things up. I don't know what your issues are, but I want to start again, clean. I don't really want to spend my senior year warring against the student council president." Silence. There was silence over my confession. "And I don't want to be on bad terms with anyone, simple. So… truce?" I extended my hand out to him. The lights have dimmed entirely, and I could only discern his silhouette as the movie finally began to play out. I could not gauge his reaction.

An awkward silence ensued, and I slowly retrieved my hand, embarrassed that he does not return the sentiments. _His loss_. But before I could return to digging into the popcorn bag, his warm, calloused hand encased mine and he shook it firmly. "Truce. I… apologize for being a jerk as well. I went overboard." He finally stopped shaking my hand but did not let go. I was acutely aware of our intertwined hands, but did not comment on it. "I have my issues, Tenten; issues I want to come into terms with eventually. But… this will do for now… I guess…" he said cryptically. He gave my palm one last squeeze before he slowly, gradually, released it.

The warmth of his hand lingered on mine throughout the movie.

* * *

When the movie finally ended, Ino was practically on Shikamaru's lap. Shikamaru was, for once, not dozing off and was instead occupied with wrapping his arms around Ino soothingly. Chouji had consumed all of his treats (how he had retained his appetite with the movie is beyond me), but was visibly pale. Kiba and Shino were in a heated discussion over which the movie had insulted more—the centipede or human physiology—and much biological jargon were parried between them. Lee was as green as his spandex, and made a rush for the washrooms as soon as the lights were back on. Sasuke _did _sit next to Sakura, and was in deep conversation with her. Their voices were hushed, but sharp, and the telltale signs of an argument were blatant. Hinata and Naruto were still huddled but were obviously riveted by the movie. Sai was taking notes.

Finally, between our little agreement and the course of the movie, I had somehow ended up leaning comfortably against Neji, and him the same with me. The movie was disturbing, to say the least, but it's nothing I couldn't stomach. Neji did not care much for it, and wasn't as bothered as I was, probably. I stood up, stretching and flexing and trying to bring the circulation back in my body. Neji did a few small stretches of his own.

As we filed out of the little cinema, a song played softly in the background.

_Hey, I can't explain this is strange. I've never acted this way, 'cause when I see you, I feel the way my heart starts to race… all 'cause of you I'm like this and I don't want to say these words around my lips. Loving you, loving you~_

On impulse, I glanced at Neji.

_And I can't lose you, no way. I love you, so stay… Baby, I'm in love with you~_

_Wait, what?_

* * *

"Auntie? Yeah, I can't make it for dinner. I—yeah, tell him I'll be there for supper, probably. I hope I'm not too—Asuma? Yeah, sorry about that. I wasn't expecting—no, no, the game is still on. Okay, catch you later, bye!"

* * *

"I can't believe we're having dinner after _that_," Ino made strangling noises to emphasize her point.

"I'm sorry…" Hinata mumbled weakly. Ino immediately flew to Hinata's side and soothed the girl.

"I didn't mean it like that, honey." She said, "It wasn't your fault you liked things like these. We had a consensus…" she blathered her apologies and reassurances, until Hinata finally felt significantly better about herself. Ino reminds me of a mother hen—strict but understanding; tough but loving. We continued towards the dining room, with Neji taking the lead. Each hall was more extravagant than the first, and one particular corridor had caught our attention. The walls were decked with massive paintings of the past Hyuuga heads. The last one was of Hiashi Hyuuga-sama, who, depicted in his late twenties, had a striking resemblance to Neji.

_Something does not add up. _"Why does he look like you, Neji?" I asked. The group visibly stiffened, and I knew at once that I had stepped on a landmine. I quickly tried to amend the situation, "Uh… okay, never mind. So what's for dinner?"

"They were twins." Neji said, his tone clipped, "My father and Hiashi-sama were identical twins." I nodded sagely. The strained, arctic silence had returned, and I racked my mind desperately for a lighter change of topic. Naruto, bless his cotton socks, took this time to intervene. His good humor had thawed the atmosphere.

"Neji dude, is your Xbox still running?" Neji nodded, "Cool! You guys up for a game after dinner? You pick, I bet I can beat your asses are whatever game you're gonna choose." The boys engaged in an excited chatter over a variety of Xbox games, most of which I have never actually got around into playing.

"Actually, I can't." I said when Kiba and Naruto looked at me. "I _do _play, okay?" I explained, "But I promised my uncle I'll play him later. Maybe next time?" We emerged in the dining room, set into perfection by the efficient Hyuuga staff, and we all took a seat. There was a brief commotion between Neji and Hinata over who should take the head chair. The symbolism of it all was not lost on me, and I was surprised that Neji was eventually seated on the chair. I noticed that I was on his right, and blushed to myself. Hinata took the seat across me, as dinner was served.

"Did you know, Tenten, that traditionally, the wife sits on the right of the man?" Ino smirked knowingly. The feminist in me kicked in.

"Oh? I'm not so keen of traditions, then. I actually think a woman could sit on the head just as any other man could." There was a collective "ooooh" from the crowd over my little declaration, and Sakura nodded in approval, jabbing a thumbs-up in my direction. I smiled at her, pleased with myself. Neji smirked at me.

* * *

Dinner was relatively uneventful. As soon as we finished our course, we retreated to the gardens, admiring the softly lit atmosphere. We exchanged light conversations on almost anything and everything, as the sky grew darker, and the first stars winked from the pitch-black blanket. I glanced at my watch, and my eyes widened in alarm. "I have to go." I announced suddenly. They turned to me from their individual conversations. "It's getting late. My aunt will get worried. Besides, there's school tomorrow."

"Do you know your way around?" Sakura asked worriedly. I craned my neck towards the general direction of _outside_.

"I'll manage. I'll flag down a cab."

"I'll drive you." Neji volunteered. I doubled over. "Where do you live? Come on." He was already leading the way towards the parking lot.

"You don't have to do that!" I turned to our friends, but all I received were interested, if not coy and knowing, glances. "Wait, Neji!" I jogged to catch up with him. "I'll see you guys tomorrow! It was really awesome meeting you!" I called, disappearing into a corner where Neji had rounded up.

"Likewise, Tenten!" They chorused.

* * *

"You didn't have to do this, you know." I repeated, glancing outwards. The Hyuuga manor was serene but strong against the moonlit backdrop. I admired the colossal edifice as we drove farther and farther away from it. "I appreciate your efforts though." I added.

"It's hard to hail a cab from the property. Unless booked, no cab is allowed on Hyuuga grounds." Neji explained, easing the car into the dark road. He kept the headlights on despite the illumination from the street lamps. _Better safe than sorry_. He drove a sleek black car.

"Why am I not surprised?" I mumbled. For the first time, the silence between us was companionable. I now felt at ease with his presence after finally tying the arbitrary loose knots between us. I was decidedly comfortable and fished for my earpieces. Neji spoke suddenly.

"About before… Tenten… I…" I turned to him, but his glare was focused on the road ahead. "You don't…" he eyed me briefly, and for a fraction of a second, those opalescent orbs of his flashed sincere hurt and longing. I was caught off guard, and my surprise had him reining on his emotions. "No, it's nothing. I'm glad we… err… patched things up."

"What's wrong?" There was a sense of familiarity about all of this. The way I glanced at him in worry, the way his handsome face contorted in pain, and the way I reached out to pat his head; it was a familiar gesture. I surprised myself with the robotic actions. My body was acting on its own; each movement of my muscle a routine ingrained into my system. I had done this before, and I had done this countless of times. With Neji, of all people.

Suddenly, he shied away from my touch, and I stole my hand back to my side.

"We're here."

_'We're here, Tenten-chan!_'

* * *

**K-pop reference of the chapter: Loving U~ Loving U~ ****_na eottokhae_****, what should I do? Star1s, did you see that? Anyway, credits for the English lyrics go to KPEC. You guys should check out their English covers. They're real neat. My favorites are definitely Loving U, and ****_INFINITE_****'s ****_Come Back Again_****. **

**For this chapter, there had been a flurry of character and plot developments. Neji and Tenten's weird relationship was explored even more. Even Neji is acting weird. Exactly why all of this is happening will be explained eventually, so I hope you guys will stick with me 'till then!**

**Reviews make me happy! **


	6. PE

**_Chapter VI: P.E._**

* * *

The month had past in a blur, a flurry of activities that I painstakingly kept tabs on, all for the sake of "good grades" and something-or-the-other. It was not to say that the month had been uneventful, because it was anything but. I had scored a spot in the school's martial arts, and art clubs. PE was a glorious blessing; a wonderful opportunity to let loose by beating the pulp out of your sparring partner under the pretense of mixed martial arts. Homeroom, Health, was a hodgepodge of uncanny circumstances, raging from babysitting eggs to reading phrases out of an orange pornographic book.

History was a relatively boring class, partly because of the monotonous way of teaching. Math had never been my strongest point, anyway. Literature was quite interesting—for the most part. It had seen better days. Economics was mostly so-so. I listened occasionally; I dozed off regularly. Finally, Biology should be the liveliest subject thus far, teeming with unconventional projects like a misplaced fieldtrip to the forest (because who has fieldtrips on the middle of November, in a forest of all places?), a poorly orchestrated, school-wide treasure hunt for plants, and a plethora of other life-threatening experiments.

But what struck me the most from my short time thus far in Konoha High, is the fact that, by some unfathomable twist of faith, I found myself sharing not one, but _all _of my classes with Neji Hyuuga. Of course, having made amends with one another, it's not so much of a big deal as it would have been originally, but the increasing amount of fan-girl hatred I had dealt with is, of course, annoying, and troublesome. What made it worse (or better) is that of all the subjects that required paired-up activities (i.e., all of them), Neji and I would always, _always _get partnered, one way or the other.

I don't mind him so much as a sparring partner, because truthfully, he is the only one I cannot ever beat in MMA; a very refreshing change in routine, actually. Being partnered in Health is all sorts of awkward (but it was obligatory that opposite sexes teamed up if possible). History, Math, Literature, and Economics didn't call for much, save for occasional trip to the libraries and incessant amount of research work that often had him or me sleeping over to finish the papers on time (hence, we are now very much acquainted with each other's families and houses). He was a useful partner for Biology, because he had the means, the resources, and the knowhow, which made things significantly easier for me.

Today, we are bombarded with a slew of projects from all said subjects, which are all due in a few weeks' time. Being both quite responsible, we agreed to set an earlier, personal deadline to avoid cramming. As soon as I changed out of my clothes and into my PE uniform, I rang him up. He answered, as ever, on the second call. "_Tenten._"

"So I called Kurenai, and told her about tonight. I don't think we could crash at my place, because Konohamaru—Asuma's nephew, you remember him—is coming over today. You don't really want him as an audience." I shrugged my backpack on my shoulders as I continued for the gym.

"_So it's my place tonight, then_." He paused. "_Alright, I'll make the arrangements._"

"Sweet." I glanced around the lobby towards the gymnasium, trying to locate him. "So, will you be in PE or will some poor soul suffer my wrath?" He chuckled.

"_I think I'll be there._" A rustle of papers was heard from the other line. "_At least, I hope so. I'll text you if I could make it._" He sounded genuinely dejected, and I smiled a small, private smile to myself. "_If I can't, don't rough up the poor soul too much_." The trace of a smirk was evident in his tone.

"Well, don't count on it, champ. I'll see you later."

"_See you._"

There was a long pause. I breathed steadily, simply holding the device closer against my ear.

"Neji, seriously, I'll be late." I laughed slightly.

"_Okay… you hang up._"

"I will…"

It was a brief moment of quiet in which we probably only listened to each other's breathing. It was completely pointless, not to mention outright ridiculous and stupid, but it was a moment in which I just _couldn't find it _in me to actually end the conversation. And moments like _these_ were _not_ far and few in between us (I swear, my phone bill has sky rocketed over the past month). We have had many telephone conversations, and nearly all of them had wordless interludes like these. _The mind boggles._

"No, really, Neji, you hang up."

…

"_Okay, Tenten, I'll meet you tonight._" _Click._

"Tenten."

"Oh, my god!" I jumped out of my skin as I felt a tap on my shoulder. Spinning on my heel, I immediately, but impulsively, took a defensive stance. The intruder stepped back in surprise. As recognition finally dawned upon me, I sheepishly relaxed out of my stance and grinned apologetically at him. "I am _so _sorry about that, Kankuro-kun. You scared me." He eyed me pointedly, but shrugged.

"No harm done." He smiled. "But I can see why the martial arts club thinks highly of you." I smiled back, a little in due embarrassment. "So is your boyfriend around, or will you be roughing me up again?"

I rolled my eyes as Kankuro walked beside me, "Ugh, for the last time, he's not my boyfriend." I glared at him to punctuate the thought. He shrugged. "And I don't know if he could make it, but my _good friend Neji _will likely _not _be around, so yes, in retribution, I shall pass judgment onto you." I cackled evilly for effect. Kankuro threw his head back, laughing loudly. He is one of the few persons I share my fondness of classical literature (i.e., original—and extremely shrewd, if not perverse—versions of fairytales), and is often subjected to my streaks of immense dorky-ness. Luckily, Kankuro shares said dorky-ness as well.

Eventually, we reached the gymnasium, and headed over to our class. Lee bounced over to us in greeting, sharing some of his plans for lunch, which we took him up for. PE, I shared with many of my homeroom buddies (and not-so-buddies). I have it with Neji, Lee, Kankuro, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Hinata, Suigetsu, and Karin.

I placed my bag on a nearby bench, and proceeded to stretch on one of the rubber mats. A few perfect splits and complete bends later, and I was warmed up, ready for another round of "domesticated" violence. I tapped Lee's shoulder, asking, "Can you be my sparring partner?" Lee smiled apologetically.

"I promised Kankuro-kun I'll spar with him today." He said, his teeth glinting beneath the fluorescent lighting, "I am most apologetic, my youthful friend." I shrugged in response.

"Too bad, Lee. I wonder who I'll lash out on this time." Lee grinned. Next to Neji, Lee was one of the few (and rare) people that could keep up with me in a field I am as comfortable and experienced on as mixed martial arts. Of my homeroom class, only Naruto, Sasuke, and Kankuro had so far put up a relatively good fight, but experience often reigned supreme the end. I would have liked to fight Suigetsu, but Gai-sensei made it a point to segregate the two of us, in fear of our spar escalating into an actual, genuine bloodshed.

"What's wrong, your _boyfriend _not around to play with you?" Lee's smile faltered, and he quickly excused himself. I rolled my eyes and turned around to meet Karin's feral grin with an amiable smile of my own. I waved in greeting.

"Karin, hi." I began, spotting Suigetsu eyeing us from a few feet behind her. "I don't know how you got _yet another_ stick stuck up in your ass this time, but I'm not really inclined to receive the brunt of your perpetual PMS." I continued mockingly. Suigetsu had somehow caught wind of our conversation, and laughed loudly to himself. Karin glowered at me.

"Very funny, _Tenten_." She punctuated my name venomously, and the word rolled off her tongue distastefully. I do not like it. "How 'bout you and I pair up for gym this time around, huh?" I eyed her weirdly. Karin Uzumaki was challenging me for a spar. I'm betting it was one of those spur-of-the-moment kinds of things to salvage one's pride. I have seen Karin fight, and right off the bat I knew she was the one who should sit things like these out. Karin's offensive abilities, if she had any, were more on the mental side of things, rather than the physical. I do not want to genuinely hurt her if I could help it. And in a spar as brutal as one for mixed martial arts, I likely would end up breaking a few bones of hers.

"Karin, no offense, but I'd really choose Suigetsu over you." Suigetsu chuckled again. "I don't want to hurt you." I added solemnly. Karin smirked.

"You're just afraid I'd actually kick your ass."

I cocked an eyebrow over her sass. "No, Karin, your taunts will not work on me." I said, "Contrary to what you take me for, no matter how much I dislike you and your unwarranted antagonisms towards me, I actually have half the mind to keep my claws to myself. So, no, I won't take you up for your childish goading. You should think about who you're bearing your fangs at, before they bite you back in the ass." I turned away from her, and headed over to my friends. From behind me, I heard Karin seethe, and felt her eyes boring holes on the back of my head. I ignored it.

"What's her problem?" Sakura asked, glaring over my shoulders. She stretched her arms over her head, and proceeded to do a semi-split. She winced. "Oww. I haven't gotten used to it yet." She moaned. I assisted Sakura with her split, until she eventually managed to pull off a semi-decent half-split. I smiled at her.

"Sakura, these things take time; don't push yourself." I glanced back, glad to find no sign of a shock of red hair. "I don't know what the deal with Karin is, but I suspect it's because I actually have decent conversations with Neji." I grumbled. "I heard she had a fan-club for Sasuke and Neji back in your primary school days, is it true?"

"Originally, it was only Sasuke." Sakura replied, folding her legs beneath her. "We had petty cat-fights over who should be the president." I raised an eyebrow, "Ridiculous, I know." Sakura sighed, "But when Neji was moved in our class on sixth grade, well, she fawned over him too. You could see why, though." She smirked knowingly at me, and I stuck my tongue out in response. "Obviously, neither of the boys appreciated the attention. It didn't deter her, though. She pushed through with it until middle school. I'm actually surprised she didn't take it to high school, but I think she finally learned about the notion of self-respect."

"And this actually got support?" I mumbled incredulously.

"You'll be surprised at how _overwhelming _the support was, Tenten. I think there are still some hidden factions of the original fan-club remaining. It's very likely." Sakura shrugged dispassionately, "Teenaged girls are a very passionate lot."

"I'm glad I found passion in something else." I slumped down on the mat, stretching my legs before me. "But it still doesn't explain why she is so hell-bent on making _me _miserable. I get that I'm one step closer to their god, but to rain me with antagonisms on a daily basis is taking it too far."

"Tenten, this is _high school_. Things like these are common occurrences. I'm sorry you had to have the shorter end of the stick, but you know, you're really lucky to be friends with Neji." She smiled kindly at me.

"You know, Sakura… about Neji… there's…" the bell rang, and PE began officially. Gai-sensei came bouncing towards us, calling for the class in his booming voice. We stood up and lined with the rest of our classmates. "I'll… tell you later, I think." I promised as Sakura took to lining a few people ahead of me. One of the things I am thankful for about lining by height is that Karin and I are very much apart. Even though I only come above her by a few inches, it was enough to separate me from her. Poor Sakura, who shares the same height as the Witch, has to bear with her though.

"Good morning, my youthful pupils!"

"Good morning, Gai-sensei."

"For this week's gym class, we will be sparring by random draw." Gai-sensei produced two small boxes and shook it slightly. "This is to give you wonderful children a nice change of pace and to allow you to test your abilities on other people outside your regular sparring partners. By this time, I am certain that you have tuned yourselves well to match your partners, which is quite a double-edged sword. You have honed the skills necessary to outmatch your partner, but you may have neglected some in favor of simply winning. So by changing partners, there is a good chance that you will have to explore the extent of your abilities again to win against a new opponent, preferably one you never sparred with before." He explained.

I could see the genius in his logic, but I could also see the flaws. There is a good chance that I am pitted with one of my regular partners again (since I make it a point to exchange blows with the rest of the class regularly, in addition to teaming up with Neji), which would defeat the purpose of this activity. But at the same time, it is also likely that I could finally have the chance to go up against Suiegetsu, which I had always been looking forward to. I sent my prayers to the deities.

"Alright, here we go!"

* * *

Finally, it was my turn, and Gai-sensei shook the box again. The original plan was that the girls and the boys were segregated, as always. The only drawback is that there were an uneven number of boys and girls in class. Some girls had to pair up with some boys, and I had never been more thankful for my height than at that moment. Reluctantly, Gai-sensei proffered the blue box at me. Slipping my fingers inside, I felt for the few rolls of papers before pulling one out. Immediately, I unfurled it and read the contents. _Neji Hyuuga. _I frowned.

"Sensei, Neji is not around." I said, "Besides, we're always paired up so even if he _was _here, I should still pick someone else, right?" Gai-sensei looked decidedly uncomfortable as he allowed me another draw. This time, I smiled in glee as I read the name. "Suigetsu Hozuki." Gai-sensei paled.

"Oh yes!" Suigetsu stood up and jogged over to us. Smirking, we shared a high-five as we jotted down our names in Gai-sensei's list. Finished, we found a spot close to the baskeball court, and readied our gear. Mixed martial arts today had an added bonus. We were to explore our native roots, and so were given freedom over which weapon we could include in our spar. This, of course, went against standard MMA rules, but Gai-sensei liked to think outside the box. He said that by confining ourselves to the norms, we are limiting our growth exponentially, and so to keep that [atrocity] from happening, he added his own flair to our PE sessions. No one complained.

For today's class, our theme was ninjas—_shinobi_ and _kunoichi_.

In childish glee, I bounded over to the storage box and retrieved a forehead protector, bearing the symbol of Konohagakure. I rummaged through the box and found a set of plastic weapons—kunai, shuriken, senbon, and katana. I also found a fuuma shuriken. Grinning, I brought them to the rubber mat, and began placing them on the fabric upholstery I snagged from one of closets. Suigetsu had opted for swords—a variety of swords that totaled to seven. He strapped them artfully all over his body in the same way I stashed mine. Finally, he tied a Kirigakure forehead protector on his head.

"Kirigakure?" I nodded at him as I took off my shoes.

"Yeah, where my clan is from."

"Oh. That's cool." I grinned. Suigetsu and I got into stance, and the formalities were exchanged. As we finished, Gai-sensei approached us, and beckoned for the rest of the class over. This was new. He would usually leave the lot of us to our own devices when we spar. It was the essence of "sparring", in and of itself, after all.

"Class, this is a rare occurrence in which two master martial artists are pitted against each other." Gai-sensei spoke solemnly, the usual vigor in his voice gone. "I therefore consider this a special circumstance that requires my complete facilitation. I will not be able to watch over the rest of you because of this." He continued, and we finally caught on. "This spar between Tenten Fujisaki and Suigetsu Hozuki is a special and official match which we shall all watch over. In addition, because I have allowed the use of weaponry, this is no longer within the scope of mixed martial arts. Toys their weapons may be, they may still inflict harm when in the right hands. I now officially declare this match as a traditional shinobi duel." Our eyes widened. Gai-sensei proceeded to show us a different set of formalities that included hand seals. When we finished, he stepped back and ordered the rest of the class to do the same. "The shinobi duel begins!"

* * *

Suigetsu's eyes darkened with bloodlust as he charged at me in full speed. Thrown off by his aggression, I was forced into the defensive as he rained me with a torrent of unrelenting attacks. His hands were occupied with two massive swords, as I parried his attacks, a little pathetically, with a senbon. They say that offense is the best defense, and with his ceaseless offensive advances, it left me with no opening to maneuver in.

I continued to take defensive, until a rather forceful blow against the senbon loosened my grip. Dropping my weapon, I sidestepped Suigetsu to avoid the one half of the _Hiramekarei _swords. With my little twist, however, I ended up tripping over myself. I shifted my body, bended, and propelled myself against the rubber mat with my palms, doing a perfect back flip. Before my feet connected with the ground, I retrieved a handful of kunai and hurled them forcefully at Suigetsu. He easily deflected them, but used his swords in the process. Smirking to myself, I charged at him in full speed as soon as he raised one of the _Hiramekarei _duo, continuing to throw a plethora of projectiles at him. His advantage and his downfall should be his preference for huge swords. They are good for offensive attacks, but hold him back for the defensive. Finally reaching him, I threw a forceful kick aimed at his solar plexus. When my sock-clad feet connected with his middle, I used the momentum to propel myself backwards. Doing another flip with one hand, I grabbed the pair of katana with my opposite. As soon as I was back on my feet, I charged at him, poised to deal a forceful blow against his frame.

Suigetsu dropped the _Hiramekarei _pair and opted for the _Nuibari _sword. He hurled it at me, and I docked, careful not to let the end reach my weapon. I threw my legs in the air and spun on my arms, kicking his previous swords away. Suigetsu ignored them and proceeded to retrieve _Nuibari. _The invisible thread glinted beneath the fluorescent lighting, and I reached for a kunai, aiming to cut through it. Suigetsu twisted his fingers, and the kunai was caught in the thread. Immediately relinquishing it, I threw myself backwards to avoid direct contact with the _Nuibari._

I replaced the katana, realizing they are futile in far-ranged combat, and reached for a scroll I kept in my back pocket instead, unfurling it. I grabbed the endmost kunai and chucked it at Suigetsu. _Tit for tat_. He dodged the projectile easily and rushed at me. Pulling the invisible string, I maneuvered around Suigetsu, running in circles, until I was back at my original position. I tugged the string tighter, and Suigetsu's eyes widened in recognition. On a last-minute effort to protect himself, he hurled the _Nuibari _at me with such force that the object was almost invisible. I turned away, barely in time, and received a scratch.

Ignoring the smarting sensation, I slid a handful of shuriken on the thread in rapid succession, creating a circle of glimmering, sharp objects. With a final pull, the circle of seemingly levitating weapons closed in on Suigetsu. I caught the small jerking of his knees and immediately knew he would attempt to duck. To keep it from happening, I launched a series of kunai at his feet, which he leaped to dodge on impulse. The trap was secured, and Suigetsu yelped in pain as the projectiles came in contact with his skin. I must admit I was drunk in victory, and was not able to foresee the minute movement of his fingers as he retrieved and hurled the _Nuibari _at me.

I felt a painful blow on my nape, and the force threw me off balance. Falling on my knees, I relinquished my grasp on Suigetsu, and he immediately leapt to action. He grabbed the largest weapon on his makeshift armory, the _Samehada_. My eyes widened as I recognized what he wielded, and I struggled to regain my footing. I reached for another scroll as Suigetsu charged at me. His hands flew about in what appeared to be a haphazard motion with the intent of simply cutting me, but there was an artful grace to his movements and I knew he wasn't simply arbitrarily swinging his sword.

_He's making it so I can't use the invisible threads again! _

I ran to the sides, carefully avoiding Suigetsu's rampage, and unfurled the scroll. I grabbed the kunai and reached for the fuuma shurken strapped on my back. Lacing the invisible thread through the hole in the shuriken, I ran towards the basketball ring and, in a display of unconventional athleticism born from years of _parkour_ practice, ran the upright length of the ring's base. Suigetsu swung his sword and the brutish force had the entire structure shaking. I leapt off and landed behind him, propelling myself a few feet backward as I launched the massive projectile. He ducked. I smirked.

As Suigetsu was occupied with avoiding the fuuma shuriken, I rained a barrage of shuriken and kunai at him. Unable to wield _Samehada _in time for the defensive, he had no choice but to turn his body against the slew of projectiles instead. As he twisted, he launched another sword at me, which I had barely registered until it was too late. I only managed to angle my body when the _Kubikiribocho _slithered past me and grazed my torso. For a plastic replica of the actual sword, it was ridiculously sharp. My uniform was left with a huge, gaping hole. I glared at Suigetsu, as I staggered backward, having lost my footing with the impact.

I reached for another round of weaponries but realized, to my horror, that my arsenal was now almost bear, save for a pair of katana, and a handful of shuriken. Glancing at Suigetsu, I noticed that he himself only had three weapons at his disposal, now that the _Samehada _had been out for the count, lodged against the frame of the basketball ring. Suigetsu stood up, panting.

"That is enough!" Gai-sensei called out, stepping in between us. He glanced between the two of us, and raised the arm closest to Suigetsu. "Suigetsu Hozuki wins!" Suigetsu's mouth fell as I openly gaped at Gai-sensei. _But the fight isn't over yet_! Gai-sensei turned to me, "Seeing as both parties are now close to collapsing, and that Tenten Fujisaki is no longer standing, this victory goes to Hozuki." He explained. I nodded reluctantly in recognition of my defeat. I pulled myself up, but wobbled from exhaustion. My friends rushed to my side, helping me back on my feet.

"Thanks, guys." I smiled in gratitude. Hinata and Sakura fussed about me, all very motherly. The guys were less than gentle, but they meant no harm. It was Kankuro who slid my arm over his shoulders, helping me remain upright. Glancing forward, I noticed that Suigetsu was now leaning across the wooden frame of the basketball ring, with Karin dutifully by his side, reprimanding him for being reckless and going overboard. Suigetsu's and my eyes met, and we grinned in childish glee at one another. We will forever remember the thrill of this fight. Staggering closer to each other (with our reluctant supports in tow), we shook our hands, and bowed as Gai-sensei demonstrated. "Awesome spar, dude. I hope we can do it again some other time. Congratulations, by the way."

"Hey thanks. And no kidding!" Suigetsu nodded, "I haven't felt this thrilled since I went against my brother. You're a real neat kid, Tenten." As if on cue, the school bell rang, and we all went our separate ways. Kankuro has not released me, and I hang onto him like a leech. I couldn't feel my legs, and my entire body felt like a freight train ran over it.

"Sorry about this." I mumbled as Kankuro hefted our bags.

"No joke! Tenten, that was real bloodshed I saw out there! You guys really looked like you were ready to skewer each other." He shrieked, his tone trill with panic. I winced, and he lowered his voice. "You have cuts all over your body, Tenten. Those things weren't toys. They were plastic, but they were pretty sharp. You're also bruised all over. You're really roughed up, man!" Kankuro looked back, "Hey guys, I'm taking her to the infirmary!" There was a collective acquisition from our friends. "Hey, here." He deposited me on the bleachers, and crouched before me. My eyes widened.

"Uhh… no, it's embarrassing."

"Tenten, you either limp or crawl your way to infirmary, or you could make it easier for the both of us by hopping on. Your choice." Kankuro muttered. I saw the logic in his statement, but it doesn't make it any less embarrassing of a situation anyway. Eventually, I conceded and reluctantly positioned myself on the most comfortable manner I could muster. Kankuro stood up, and I gripped him tighter as he piggybacked me all the way to the infirmary. There were stares. There were whispers. My face was aflame with the attention. "Where did you learn to wield those weapons, Tenten?" Kankuro wondered casually, his voice not giving anything away. He was completely comfortable.

"My family…" I swallowed, "My clan were blacksmiths. We have an arsenal back home, and the members of the Fujisaki clan are trained to master weaponry from a young age. Not to brag, but that's probably the one thing I'm really good at: weapons. From traditional ones like what you saw earlier to modern weapons like guns and the like, I know them extensively." I shrugged. Kankuro whistled in amazement. I could feel the stares become heavier as we walked on, until I could no longer bear it. I planted my face on Kankuro's nape and he notably stiffened.

"_Tenten?_" My whole body went cold, and I reluctantly raised my face. Neji was eyeing us in the cold, calculating manner I have not seen since our first meeting. Kankuro stopped dead in his tracks. "What the hell happened?" He stalked closer to us, his voice calm but bleeding with anger (?); irritation, loathing, I couldn't place the guttural quality to his voice.

Kankuro spoke on my expense, "Something happened in PE, and I'm taking her to the infirmary." The glare Neji sent him was bone chilling, and Kankuro shook the slightest bit in trepidation. I felt that Neji's anger was completely uncalled-for, but for the life of me, for the first time, I couldn't stand up to him. I was genuinely scared. He looked like he could murder in cold blood. He continued towards us until he was right in front of Kankuro. He towered over us, with Kankuro already slouching form the effort of carrying me. Wordlessly, he stepped behind Kankuro, and retrieved me from the former's hold. My eyes widened. I realized, with a start, that Neji held me in a bridal's carry.

"I'll take her to the infirmary then."

"_I'll take care of you._"

* * *

_From: Neji Hyuuga  
Subject: Sorry :(_

_Message: I can't make it to class. Tell Gai-sensei the council's holding me up. Will be sure to submit my excuse letter later. Don't be too rough, Tenten; that goes both ways. Will get mad if you hurt yourself._

_Take care._

* * *

**I don't know about you guys, but I missed writing battle scenes. In my head, Suigetsu and Tenten, both masters of weaponries, would put up quite the fight against one another. I don't think the extent of Tenten's expertise had been explored completely in either manga or anime, in the way that we have seen Suigetsu in battle. The way I see it, if pitted against each other, I like to think that they'd be on even grounds. Probably. I don't know. Kishimoto needs to give Tenten more screen time.**

**One other thing I have conjured in my head canon is that no matter the circumstances or nature of the story, Neji and Tenten will always find a way to become best friends. They have this platonic chemistry that just makes it so easy to portray them as best friends. Even if the story would depict them as enemies at first, I think the [canon] way they interact with one another will eventually have them being the very good firends in the end. The romance that blossoms between them is just an added bonus.**

**No K-pop reference for the chapter. Sad.**

**As always, review, my lovelies!**


	7. Lunch

**_Chapter VII: Lunch_**

* * *

Neji walked us to the infirmary in tensed, arctic silence. He had made no comment, no inquiry, no audible sound since retrieving me from Kankuro. I suspect his horrible mood was likely from a stressful episode in the student council, and the sight of his good friend roughed up and in desperate need of patching up had tipped him off his rocker. It would have been the same if I were in his shoes, right?

_I don't think anyone could look as murderous over simply seeing a _good friend _disheveled. _

Granted, that 'disheveled' is putting my current state lightly, it still doesn't mean anything. Neji was stressed, and seeing me as I had been threw him off. It was as simple as that. In addition, I don't think Neji had ever been fond of Kankuro to begin with, so perhaps that was another personal factor into the equation. My head hurt with the effort to piece this puzzle together, so I let it slide. The awkward silence welcomed me as soon as I was out of my musings, and I almost crawled back in the murky recesses of my brain.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, uncertain. _What are you apologizing for, you oaf? _My subconscious grumbled, spiteful and indignant. I ignored her, in favor of attempting to discern any intelligent sound from the human ice block that is Neji Hyuuga. No such luck, and the screeching harpy only grew more persistent as the time stretched on. _What is this asshole's problem, Tenten? And why in the name of all that is good are you being such a pushover? You don't let anyone walk all over you, you hear me!_

"What are you apologizing for?" Neji sighed, the exasperation evident in his weary tone. I was at least right about the stressed-out part.

"I don't know, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry." I said honestly. "I think I gotten you pretty riled up, and I know you're already stressed out with the student council." I added as an afterthought. Neji shrugged, and the movement jerked me a little.

"Yeah, you're right about the student council. Bloody hell, a bunch of scatterbrained idiots, those people are. And you're right about you throwing me off. I thought _you _roughed people up, not the other way around." He grumbled tartly. I smiled a little. "But I still don't see what you're sorry for." Neji hefted me higher and more firmly against his form, and on instinct, my hold on his person tightened. I grasped the collar of his shirt, opting to focus my death-lock on the fabric rather than on his neck.

"I went up against Suigetsu." He obviously stiffened, and for a fraction of a second, froze in mid-step. But he reined on his emotions just as quickly, and resumed his pace, unaffected.

"Did you now." He hummed.

"Yeah. And MMA today allowed the use of props again. I wouldn't even call it MMA anymore." I explained. "The theme was ninjas, Neji. We got to hold plastic, traditional weapons that still hurt like hell. They're quite spot on for plastic replicas." I commented, snickering a little to myself. Neji's only audible response was a soft hum as he entered a connecting building, climbing the few flights of stairs, and continuing forward inside the bright corridor. Turning left on the first hallway, he stopped before a sterile white door, bearing a metal plate with the characters of _INFIRMARY _emblazoned in crisp red paint. The familiar cross sign was inscribed beneath it, and Neji used his foot to slide the door open.

"Good afternoon." He called out, and the school physician appeared from behind a set of curtains. She held a clipboard in one arm, and the end of a leash in another. A massive canine trailed after her, and the uncanny duo nodded in acknowledgement. "Inuzuka-sensei, my friend needs tending to." _Hana Inuzuka_. Her metal nameplate read. She smirked coyly at the two of us, and cocked her head to the side, gesturing for the beds. Neji carefully deposited me on one. _He was so, _so _gentle. _

"Fancy seeing you here, Hyuuga-kun." Inuzuka-sensei grinned as she reached for her equipment. Neji took to sitting beside me. "So what happened with you, young lady?" She frowned, the clipboard in one hand, and a pen in the other, poised to take notes. "You are?"

"Fujisaki. Tenten Fujisaki. I'm new to this school." I replied, shifting to a more comfortable position. My entire body was a mass of numb and smarting limbs. I couldn't place which area was hurting, and which one had no discernable feeling. "I… uh… had PE."

"Let me guess, you have mixed martial arts with Maito Gai-sensei?" Inuzuka-sensei clicked her tongue, finishing her notes. "That man goes overboard at times." She grumbled, more to herself than anyone, "Where is your partner? Surely, you're not the only one in that state if you had MMA."

"I don't know. Hozuki—Suigetsu Hozuki—went ahead and I don't know where he is."

"Oh, he's in good hands. He's with Karin Uzumaki? The girl is a good medic." I cocked my eyebrow over the information. Karin is apparently skilled in a lot of things, except treating female classmates in a civilized manner. "Alright, so what did you have for PE today? Gai has a flair for the dramatics, likes to give it his own twist if he could help it." Inuzuka-sensei said conversationally, as she shuffled about in the small, sterile room, gathering the necessary materials.

"The theme was ninja. We played _shinobi_ and _kunoichi_." I said, leaning back on a pillow. "I think _playing _is putting it lightly, but it was basically the gist of it. We had toys that weren't really toys. And our spar was anything but playful." From the corner of my eyes, I noticed Neji had taken to glaring at me, likely over my apparent lack of brain cells that cumulated to a poor decision of taking on Suigetsu Hozuki, possibly one of the most violent people out there. I ignored him.

"So who won?" Inuzuka-sensei stopped at the foot of my bed, depositing the items on a table.

"He won. By default." I mumbled, a little regretful. "You could say he was saved by the bell. Gai-sensei called the match off when we were almost out of ammo, but when he did, I was on my derriere, unable to get up. Suigetsu is one tough guy."

"I'm surprised you were even able to put up a fight against him. By default? That is something. If the fight went on, it would have likely ended up in a draw. Or maybe you could even have won." She smiled at me as she poured a generous amount of antiseptic on a cotton ball. With gloved fingers, she dabbed the cotton on my wounds, not gently. I winced, biting my bottom lip in pain, but said nothing. "You're pretty awesome, Fujisaki-kun. Not many people can hold their own against that Hozuki."

"Thanks." I smiled, genuinely flattered over her comment. Inuzuka-sensei had finished tending to one arm when she stepped back suddenly.

"Okay, you get the gist of it now?" She turned to Neji, who nodded in acknowledgement. "Good. I'll leave you guys now. See you!" But before I could have had an input on her sudden departure, she and her massive dog were already gone, and a comical trail of smoke was left in their wake. She slid the door with a loud bang, and I have heard no more of her.

"Whoa, what was that about? Shouldn't she have tended to me all the way?"

"You're lucky she tended to you at all." Neji commented as he slid his fingers in a rubber glove. He stood up and poured antiseptic on a fresh cotton ball. "Hold out your arm." I did as he told and he gingerly placed the soaking cotton against the gashes. I winced again, but it was not as painful as my earlier session with Inuzuka-sensei. In fact, the pain was hardly there at all. "I think she likes you, Kiba's sister. Does it hurt?" Neji asked, his tone flat, but his eyes glinting in worry, as he registered the pain in my face.

_No shit, Sherlock. _"Well, I was beaten up like a rag doll over PE, got showered by cuts and bruises in the process, was subjected to merciless pounding of alcohol-soaked cotton balls, yeah, I think I'm holding up just fine." I grumbled sarcastically. Neji smirked.

"Seeing as your smart mouth is in tact, I'd say I agree with you."

"I'm fine, Neji." I sighed as the solemn expression returned to his handsome features. "Really, I'm not porcelain, you know. I'm made of tough stuff!" I grinned, attempting to assuage his worry. I'd say his concern was borderline-misplaced. I understand that he would get worked up with seeing me this beaten up, but he should know better than anyone that I don't break easily.

"That's not it."

"Then what is?"

Neji bit his lip in concentration, and my eyes were glued to the movement. I am not going to lie. Over the course of the last month, I have developed a teensy-weensy crush on him. _Oh my god, there, I said it! _But no one could blame me, right? The guy and I are practically tied around the waist. We see each other so often; it would be an oddity if we actually didn't. And Neji is _definitely_ not the least good-looking person out there. In fact, as far as my experience with boys is concerned, I could consider only a handful of them as _remotely_ handsome, and barely anyone comes up to the standard that is Neji Hyuuga.

"It's nothing. Just misplaced concern." He said with finality, and the conversation had been concluded. "Alright, done." He relinquished my arm. There was warm sensation all over my wounded limb, and I am positive it was not from the antiseptic seeping within the cuts. He stepped back to discard the cotton balls he had used, but stopped in his tracks when he returned to me. Neji visibly paled (more so than he normally is, and it is a worrisome sight) as his gaze zeroed in on my person. I broke out in cold sweat, extremely uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

I traced after his line of sight and immediately knew where the problem was. I went rigged with the recognition, and instinctively threw my hand across the gaping hole in my shirt. I winced as my palm made painful contact with the stinging wound underneath. Neji rushed to my side, pulling my arm away. "No, don't do that." I grimaced and whimpered as he accidentally exerted pressure on one of my gashes. Neji released my hand immediately. "Sorry!" He said, a little panicked.

"Okay, calm down, calm down." I mumbled, more to myself than to him. "No need to get flustered." I took deep breaths and steeled myself, waving my arms around me for emphasis. _Relax. Cool down. You're good. You're awesome. You got this. _My mantra rang clear in my head, confident and steely. I could feel Neji's eyes on me as I closed mine in favor of focusing and gathering my bearings. Finally, I have significantly calmed down and smiled at him. I stretched on my back, raising my shirt ever so slightly above my torso. But in spite of the calm and confidence I tried to portray, my heart was violently ramming a tattoo against my ribcage, and my senses were on overdrive. I was hyperaware of our circumstances, and the invisible hairs all over my body stood in attention. I smiled again, to ease both our nerves.

_God, woman, control yourself. You're not about to have sex or something. _The thought made me blush fiercely, and Neji took a step back. "Right, uh, sorry. Here." I rolled the shirt higher, but felt his hand on one of my own.

"Stop, Tenten. Anymore and you'll completely flash me." Neji's voice was strained, guttural even. The blood rushing to my head was driving me woozy, and I was beginning to feel lightheaded. I draped an arm across my face, attempting to rein on my hyperactive hormones. Shielding my eyes from Neji and subsequently sparing ourselves the embarrassment had a calming effect on both of us. _If I can't see it, it's not there_. "This is probably going to hurt, since it's a big gash." Neji warned. I nodded mutely, not trusting anything intelligent to come out of my mouth.

I felt the first gentle dabs of the cotton ball against my smarting torso, and on impulse, drew a breath. My stomach contracted in response, and Neji immediately pulled back the wet material. He sprawled an ungloved hand on the area around the gash, kneading it and urging me to relax. _How the hell can I relax when you're molesting me like this? _"Tenten, if you keep that up, we'll never get anywhere." Neji sighed in exasperation, but his tone had not yet lost the strained quality. I exhaled and allowed my body to relax (to the most it could). I channeled all my energy and focus (at least, endeavored so mightily to) on tearing my bottom lip. I could taste the metallic tang of blood as my teeth chaffed the skin, but the pain was a welcome distraction.

Neji's ministrations had significantly lessened the tension on my abdomen, and the pain of the gash had waned to a slight stinging I could easily ignore. And that was precisely the problem. Because the pain in my torso was slowly ebbing away, I was acutely aware of Neji's warm, warm hands doing whatever magic it was they are doing. "Okay, I'll do this again, Tenten. Relax, please." Ever so slightly, I moved my hand upwards to glance at Neji. He replaced the ball of antiseptic-soaked cotton, and gently ran it along the line of the gash. He repeated the motion, each dab being more forceful than the first, until he was finally applying enough pressure on the wound for the antiseptic to actually _sting. _And it stung so much because the cool air blew over my wound relentlessly.

Unconsciously, I felt small, hot tears prickle at the corner of my eyes, and I blinked them back before they could spill and embarrass me. Neji—unaware of my little predicament—continued with his ministrations. Each movement was a precise, clinical motion of his muscles. He wasted no unnecessary action, no unneeded flicker of the finger, or excessive pressure on the hand. I was thankful for that, until he stopped abruptly, his ungloved fingers pausing on the crumpled hem of my raised t-shirt. "Tenten… I…" _Oh no. _"The cut is longer than I thought so…" _How could this be? _"You know what, never mind. I'll call for Inuzuka-sensei—"

"No!" my hand shot up and grasped Neji's wrist. With some difficulty, I sat up. Neji was by my side in an instant, assisting me. I tugged on the corners of my shirt, and his eyes widened by a fraction. His poker face was shattered. "Close… the blinds please." Neji stood immobile for a moment, but nodded eventually, proceeding to draw the curtains around us. Once safe in the privacy of our makeshift cubicle, I turned to him. "This stays between us, okay? I don't want anyone seeing me like this." I pleaded, adding acid to my voice to emphasize my sincerity. Neji nodded sagely.

"You have my word, but Tenten, please, if you don't want to do this—"

"Neji, this is all completely medical, okay? No harm done in showing some skin. Just… imagine I'm in a bikini top. That should do the trick, yeah?" I could not feel the confidence in my voice. My fingers were violently trembling as I raised my shirt above my head. Neji looked away (a futile action, anyway), and I folded it haphazardly, placing it on the chair he previously occupied.

I am at least glad that I changed into my sports bra for PE. If I had been in regular underwear, this would have been infinitely a more embarrassing encounter, one we'll likely never live down. Unfortunately my sports bra of choice, curse the gods above for making me want to feel womanly for once, had a very provocative design. While it bound what it needed to bind, it still had an artful hole in the middle area, giving an ample view of what lays underneath it. In addition, it was made of lace. _Oh my god, what had possessed me to even _buy _this thing?_

"Yeah, so umm… how far up does it go?"

"Just below the line of your underwear, don't worry." _Oh thank god, I would have combusted if it went anywhere _higher_ than that. _Neji proceeded with his mechanical actions, repeating his earlier ministrations. He softly dabbed the cotton on the untended area at first, gradually increasing pressure as I accustomed myself to the sting.

The stinging, I could handle. What I am melting over is how _close _Neji's hands are around one of the most intimate parts of the female physiology. His fingers are as good as skimming the base of my chest, and the situation called for an infinite repeat of trailing those long digits of his from an area near by ribcage all the way to the ends of my breasts. His ministrations were driving me crazy. My hormones were driving me crazy. And when I thought I was finally going to cave in and combust, he stopped, not abruptly, and declared his task over. _Finally! _I allowed a huge, audible sigh of relief. "Here." Neji helped me up, but frowned suddenly. "You have a huge gash on your face and I can't believe we forgot about it. Lie down again." Neji retrieved another cotton ball and soaked it in alcohol. _Soft dab. Harder dab. _In the course of the last thirty minutes or so, it had become routine.

There was another thing about this situation. It wasn't as sensual as the moment we shared some few seconds ago, but it was no less than intimate. If anything, it was more romantic. His palm was splayed across my cheek, holding my face in place. His eyebrows were scrunched in concentration, as his eyes zeroed on my wound. His gloved fingers would occasionally touch my opposite cheek as he tended to the injury. He was close; so, so close. His breath fanned across my face; a minty smell that did not reek of anything edible at all. His forehead was almost perched on mine. Our noses were nearly touching.

He finished, at last, but did not pull back. "It's done." He whispered, cradling my face with his hands. "Did I miss anything?"

It was decidedly pure impulse when I leaned my forehead against his, smiling in gratitude. "I'll handle my legs, I think." Neji frowned.

"They're bruised badly. I'll go get some ice." He lingered for a while longer, but eventually pulled away. I immediately yearned for his heat, his warmth. But his absence allowed me to clear my foggy thoughts. I struggled to gather my bearings, trying to piece together the events that had transpired, and to put some logic behind our actions. I had only succeeded thus far in recounting our earlier actions and bringing a whole new wave of blood rushing to my head. The vertigo nearly socked me.

"Actually, if you could also get me some aspirins, that would be super." I called. Neji reappeared later with my requested Anvils, a glass of water, and a bag of ice. He handed the painkillers and the drink, and I happily drowned the medication. Neji, meanwhile, took to placing the bag atop the worst of the bruising. I winced a little, unconsciously drawing a sharp intake of breath. I replaced the glass on the nearby tabletop, and fisted my fingers on the bed sheet.

"Here." Neji momentarily released the bag, certain it would not slide off. He removed his shirt and handed it to me. I have mixed feelings when I found out that he has an undershirt. On one hand, it saved us yet another bout of extreme awkwardness (and rambunctious hormones). On the other, my yet-to-be-calmed hormones are lamenting the lack of shirtless Neji. I decided it was a good thing for Neji to be so overdressed. Thanking him, I slipped on his shirt, as he replaced his hands on my leg and on the ice bag. He slid it on another bruise, effectively numbing the pain, and lessening the swelling.

There was a long stretch of silence that followed suit. I couldn't decide if it was companionable or awkward, only that it was bearable. There was still [sexual] tension so palpable and thick, one could easily cut through it with a knife, but neither he nor I found the guts to make anything out of it. It was likely easier this way. Neji continued to tend to my injuries until my legs were completely numb. I saw his warm hand splay over one leg, but could not feel it. Neji frowned, and stood up. "I'm going to get some cream. The numbness will wear off quickly."

"You didn't have to do this." I whispered. Neji's only response was a quick sweeping of his eyes all over my person, before disappering wordlessly behind the curtains. As soon as he was out of sight, I slumped on my pillows, clutching the fabric of his shirt tightly. It was warm, too warm for a December afternoon, and I knew it was only in part to the efficient heating system installed in the room. Still, I could feel myself sweating, and despite drawing the curtains a little to the side to glance at the snowing outside, I did not feel the slightest bit cold. _Quite the contrary. _Neji reappeared moments later, a jar of unknown goo in his hands. He sat on the foot of the bed again.

"I want to." He said suddenly, and I looked up.

"What?"

Neji grimaced. "You said I didn't have to do this." He commented, turning away from me as he uncapped the container. "But I want to." He dipped two fingers in the concoction and generously applied the warm pinkish glop all over my sore legs. I could not feel anything, but I suspect that I would eventually be in much better condition after this. "I… will take care of you, Tenten." He returned his once dispassionate eyes on me, and gazed at me with such intense emotions that I found myself gulping. _In what; anticipation, trepidation? I don't know_. The passion in his eyes was raw, and as disconcerting his undivided attention may be, I was drawn to those opalescent abysses like a parched man to water.

I couldn't look away.

"_I will take care of you, Tenten._ _Always._"

* * *

**So. Much. Sexual. Tension! Oh yes! I should probably bump up the ratings if I continue to take things like this. ****_/Laughs._**

**I love reading or writing scenarios like these. They're always such a delight. I can't believe I created and ****_finished_**** an entire chapter with sensual first aid treatment alone. Talk about unconventional! You guys seeing first aid treatment on a different light now? /****_Wink; wink. _**

**Because of the blatant absence of NejiTen loving in the last chapter, I decided to bombard this one with shameless, unadulterated (?) lime. I hope it made up for the slow story pacing (which is intentional—I hope) and lack of character developments. Yes, I am taking a page from Hiro Mashima's book and stuffing you all sick with fan-service. **

**Again, no K-pop reference for the chapter. For those of you who might know of it, I'm thinking of plugging in Jang Wooyoung's ****_Sexy Lady _****in any of the succeeding chapters. Hottest's probably know how much of an-"If you know what I mean" kind of song that is. Hohoho. If you know what I mean.**

**As always, reviews mean the [fan-fiction] world to me. Ciao!**


	8. Drive

**_Chapter VIII: Drive_**

* * *

Konohamaru Sarutobi was like a bunny.

An energizer bunny.

He simply did not run out of steam.

His scrawny frame hovered above me, beside me, in front of me, an omnipotent figure that would not go away however nicely or unkindly I sent him off. He was perpetually in my shadow, and it was getting to me. "Go away, Konohamaru!" I bristled at him, but he dutifully ignored it, as he poked on my leg. I inhaled sharply, "Ugh, for the last time, don't poke! It still hurts, goddamn it!" I brushed him off, shoving him slightly for effect. Konohamaru was not deterred.

"I think it's cool." He shrugged, finally deciding to leave my poor limb alone, and sat next to me. He reached for the remote, and mindlessly flipped through the channels. "I haven't seen anything so cool since Naruto-nii dressed up as a girl!"

"I don't see what's cool with—wait, you _know _Naruto?" Konohamaru turned to me, cocking an eyebrow in question. He switched the television off. "And he dressed up as a _girl_?"

"Yes and yes, same goes for you. I've known Naruto-nii since he was, like, ten years old." He sniffed a line of snot trailing down his nose. I scrunched mine in disgust. "How'd _you _know him?"

"He's in my class." I said by way of explanation. "And speaking of classmates," I stood up and stretched my limbs, trying to get the circulation back. "I need to get ready to meet one."

"Let me guess, your boyfriend again?"

"Shut up, he's not my boyfriend!" I walked out of the living room, and made my way to mine. Konohamaru followed me, chattering excitedly.

"I think it's cool that you and I both know Naruto-nii. Hey, I wonder how many kids in your class will I know?" I decided to humor him, and listed off the names of my classmates. To almost every name I mentioned, he had a positive response. In my small homeroom family, it would seem, the only people he didn't know where the Sand kids, the Taka brats (as Suigetsu had happily taken to calling them, much to Karin's chagrin), and the Akatsuki boys (because they apparently were all members of the team that whipped Naruto's soccer-y ass back in middle school, as Deidara had eloquently put it), having only transferred to Konoha from a few years back. Knowing Konoha is a small world after all made me the slightest giddy. I grinned as Konohamaru excitedly noted how he had come to know the kids in my class.

"So Naruto-nii and I first met when I charged in Gram-pappy's office. Naruto-nii was a troublemaker, so Gram-pappy often called for him to tell him off or something. Hinata-nee, Kiba-nii, and Shino-san, I met through Kurenai-baa-chan. Then Ino-nee, Shikamaru, and Chouji-nii, I met through Ojii-san. Ojii-san knew Kakashi-sensei from way back, so I eventually got to meet the devil Sakura, and _the_ Sasuke-nii. I don't really remember how I met Neji-san and Lee-san, though. Huh. Now that I think about it, they're the only ones I couldn't remember exactly how I got to know." As Konohamaru blathered on about our mutual acquaintances, I began packing the necessities for the overnight trip to Neji's place. When my belongings were secured, I sat down on my bed.

"Is it now." I hummed as Konohamaru frowned in contemplation. Finally, he gave up with a forceful stomp of his feet, and an impassioned cry of _I give up!_, to which I shrugged in returned, "Maybe you guys know a guy who knows the same guy." I said, "It could happen, and you were probably too young to remember said guy." Konohamaru looked appeased with my justification, and nodded sagely. I stood up and yawned, "Well that's it. Off with you now, I have to get ready."

"Gee, Tenten, you get so riled up over your boyfr—_ow!_" Konohamru screeched as I kicked his derrière, in not the slightest bit gently. He called out a series of names as I slammed the door in front of him. I forcefully rapped my fist against the wooden board.

"Yeah, whatever!" I called out, skipping towards the bathroom.

_Neji again, huh._

* * *

Thirty minutes later, and I was completely poised for a sleepover. I made my way to the master's bedroom, and knocked, rather loudly announcing my presence. "Auntie!" I called out from the other side of the wooden panel; "I'm off for Neji's place now. I'll text you once I made it." _Don't stop whatever you're doing on my account. Please_. The most intelligent sounds I could discern from the opposite side were a loud grunt, and a strangled "yes". I shuddered, quickly bounding away, and retrieved my belongings from my room.

In the living room, Konohamaru had immersed himself with the Xbox, furiously tapping on the console. I bade him goodbye, giving him some last-minute reminders ("don't let any strangers in", "dinner's on the table; if you don't like it, just heat something up from the fridge", "do _not _walk in that room, you hear me?" and so and so forth) to which he would dispassionately hum his compliance, clearly distracted by his virtual world. "Oh and I'm taking your bike!" I called out through the open window. Konohamaru paused his game (or it could actually be over), and he glared at me. After a beat, he nodded.

"Okay, but don't scratch it."

I raised a brow, "You can't scratch a bike, Konohamaru. Not an ancient artifact like yours that looked like it survived the apocalypse." He glared again, but the screen blinked, and his attention was no longer on me and his battered bike. I turned away, and crossed the lawn as I made my way over to the garage. At the end of the driveway, I could make out a silhouette. Suspicious and a little panicked, I slowed on my steps, careful to train my eyes on him, and even the slightest movement I could discern.

Adrenaline was pumping furiously through my entire person. Years of martial arts training had slowly began to kick in, as I poised myself for defense (and consequently, offense), as soon as the opportunity arrives. Finally, I reached the garage door. The figure moved, walking closer towards me, and I gripped the door handle, quickly letting myself inside. Before I could slam it shut, I heard my name being called by a familiar voice, "Tenten, wait!" My blood went called, and I froze. The panic had ebbed, but my heart was still furiously pounding against the confines of my ribcage. Cold sweat oozed from my pours, trickling down my entire body. Despite the cold, cold December evening, I was warm all over.

I stepped out of the small door, and abruptly lashed my hand out. My fist came in contact with a solid surface, "Oh my god, Hyuuga, don't you ever, _ever _scare me like that!" I nearly shrieked. Neji took a step back, the blow from my fist being cushioned by the layers of clothing he wore. His foot crunched the snow beneath. "God, I thought I was going to have a heart attack." I rattled on, "what in the name of all that is good were you being so sneaky and bad-guy-ish for anyway?"

Neji smirked, "I was waiting for you." He said simply, "I didn't want you taking your bike—again—in the middle of the cold, so I thought I could pick you up." He gestured for his car, swallowed by the shadows of the night. I craned my neck, trying to make out the vehicle, but not even a sliver of its silhouette glinted beneath the near pitch-black evening.

"Wow, that's nice of you." I breathed, "But seriously, you jerk, I thought I had a serial killer at my curb. I could've lashed at you, you know?"

Neji simply shrugged, "And you didn't?" He tapped a button on the remote control, and the car beeped to life. The headlights blared, and I shielded my eyes from the sudden brightness. Neji opened the passenger door, and I smiled at him in gratitude. I was blushing profusely over his display of gentlemanliness, but I could easily chalk it up to the relentless Konoha cold. He slid into the driver's seat, and buckled his seatbelt. I did the same, as he revved the engine.

Neji eased the car into the slippery streets, careful to keep the speed under 80. As I watched the near-steady needle, I silently noted that at the rate he kept, it would take us hours before we reach the estate. I eyed him furtively, noticed he was impassive and expressionless as usual, noticed that he was focused solely on the road ahead, and perhaps unaware of his surroundings, and realized that the hours to come would be worth it.

* * *

We were on the main road when the telltale signs of awkward silence began to appear. I was running out of things to keep me preoccupied (i.e., rummaging through the glove compartment), and Neji kept glancing at me every other second, something obviously on his mind. When we stopped at a red light, I turned to him, "Yes?" Neji blinked once, not out of confusion but more of assertion, as he planted his gaze on me.

"Where did you grow up, Tenten?" The sudden question caught me off guard, and I doubled over as I processed it. On instinct, the words were at the tip of my tongue. _Kumogakure, how many times have I told you people that? _But there was a small part of me, really just a fraction of my mind that held the immediate answer back. _No, it wasn't Kumogakure. _I paused, suddenly mum as I considered his question. "Where?" Neji repeated, firmer this time. The green light blinked at us, and he steered the car forward.

"I… _Kumogakure_!" I said tartly. There was an undercurrent of confusion in my voice that I am positive was not lost to both of us. The way I emphasized 'Kumogakure' sounded desperate, and lost, like I was trying to convince myself more than I was to him. "Kumogakure. It's Kumogakure." I whispered. Neji grunted, visibly unconvinced, but said nothing anymore. We spent the last dregs of the car ride in strained, unbearable quiet.

* * *

"We're here." Neji whispered.

"Yes, I could see that." I commented, attempting to pass it off as a sarcastic remark, but instead coming out as a breathy, shaky observation. My fingers were frozen on the seatbelt, poised to unbuckle myself. But my mind and body were not in tune at the moment, and I was instead glued, unmoving and rigged, on my spot. I cleared my throat. "Yeah… so, have you started any readings yet? Coz I'm coming clean, I haven't even so much as look at it." I said in a (valiant) attempt to assuage the awkwardness. Neji glanced at me, sighed, and looked outwards again.

_Well sorry for trying to make things a little better, jerk._

"No, I haven't had the chance either. I don't think we could get any sleeping done tonight." Unbidden, images of other nightly activities that do not call for slumber flashed in my head, clearly and graphically. I blushed to the roots of my hair, and rapidly ducked my head. _I blame it on Kurenai_, I bit my bottom lip harshly, as I tried to rein on my wayward thoughts, _And on her lack of self-restraint_. "Tenten, are you okay?"

"Yeah, the cold is getting to me." I gestured to the air-conditioning.

"But it's not even open."

"I don't feel the heating system…"

"It's right at your face." Neji's lips were beginning to tug upwards in a haughty, knowing smirk. I glared at him, sticking my tongue at him, and huffing childishly.

"Yeah, well it's still cold."

"Okay, Tenten."

"What, you don't believe me?"

"Actually, seeing as how there is practically a snowstorm brewing right about now, I would be an idiot if I said otherwise, or anything to imply that it is _not _cold, so yes, I believe you."

"You're…" I glanced sideward, checking the truth in his words. My voice faded to a whisper as I took a sharp intake of breath. "Impossible!" The snowing had worsened. "We're gonna get trapped!" I began to panic, "No. I don't have enough provisions to even last us through the night! Ugh, I'm not going to share my Doritos with you!" I screeched, feeling genuine fear bubble in my chest. Neji was eyeing me with no mild amusement, and he was visibly holding back what could well be a massive laugh. "I'm serious! Oh god, we have to get out of here. Right now." I hastily unbuckled my seatbelt, and opened my door.

It wouldn't budge.

"Oh my god, are you serious?! Lady luck… you are such a stuck-up little bitch." I grumbled, nudging the metal frame again. Nothing. "Neji! We're stuck."

"Yeah, I figured as much."

"You kept us here! You—!" My eyes widened, "Oh god, are you planning on _murdering _me? I swear I'm innocent!"

"No, Tenten." Neji sighed warily. He was talking to a petulant child. "Since we were at the intersect, I figured we would sooner or later get stuck in the car." He held up his phone. "See, I already messaged the guards to pick us up."

"Well… you…" I looked around, trying to come up with an argument, "You could have dropped me off, you know!" I said crossly.

"Misery loves company." He shrugged, looking away.

_What? _I was taken aback by his honesty, and was rendered speechless. "_Oh._" I whispered, leaning back on my seat. Neji was firm on ignoring me, and the silence had returned. I fiddled with my fingers, simply for a lack of better thing to do. _Now I know how Hinata feels_.

There was a muffled voice and a forceful tap from Neji's window. We glanced up simultaneously, and I was immediately flooded with relief upon seeing the harried faces of the Hyuuga staff. "We apologize for the inconvenience, sir." They blathered off as they ushered us into the safety of a massive snow-plough. The staff began to clear the snow that had accumulated all around Neji's car. Our vehicle began to move away.

* * *

The Hyuuga mansion had never been such a welcoming site as it was now. I was perpetually intimidated by the massive edifice that embodied the very definition of grandeur, but now it was nothing more than an oversized cozy living room. Maybe it could be accounted to the Hyuuga youngsters littered all around the spacious room. At our presence, they waved and welcomed us. Hinata bounded over to us immediately. "Are you two alright? We were worried you'd get caught in the snowstorm!"

"Well, we _were_. We had to get plucked out by your staff." Hinata's eyes widened, but she nodded in understanding.

"Would you like to get anything?"

"Actually, I'll just have some servants bring us dinner. If you'll excuse us, Hinata-sama, we have a shipload of assignments to finish… preferably before the dawn." _Dawn! Why, why, why, why, _why_? He plans to work me to death!_ Hinata nodded again, squeezing my hands for the last time. Neji and I headed to the Branch House's wing towards his corridor. Once inside the safety of his room, I launched myself on his bed, burying myself beneath his fort of pillows and comforters.

"_Ahhhh_, that hit the spot." I mewled. Neji regarded me curiously, proceeding to turn up his heater. The blast of warmth was amazing.

"Don't fall asleep on me. We haven't started anything yet."

"We haven't even had dinner." I called out, shedding my jacket, and the outermost layers of my clothing. Playfully, I chucked one at an unsuspecting Neji, busy firing up his Macbook and sifting through our materials. "Neji!" He spun on his heel, just as my balled jacket came in direct contact with his forehead. I fell back on the bed, beside myself with laughter. "Oh god, that was golden!"

"Ha-ha. Very funny, Tenten." Neji grumbled tersely, but there was a sliver of a smile on his lips. I smirked, preparing to launch another projectile at him, when he suddenly hurled his form on the bed with no preamble. I squealed in surprise, dreading the ridiculous sound I had made. Neji fell directly on my person, but there were sufficient fluffy barricades between us to cushion the impact. I laughed heartily. Neji was chuckling himself.

As our mirth subsided, Neji snuggled beneath the layers of blanket and pillows, until he was lying beside me. Our shoulders touched, our legs tangled, and we were a mess of limbs right then. Anyone could have walked in on us and ruin the moment. I knew it, and I tugged on the comforter, shamelessly plunging us in a world of our own. People could see the heap we had made, but they would never be able to see this little bubble I have made just for the two of us. "Hey." I said.

"Hey." Neji said back.

It was pure, inexplicable impulse that had drawn me closer to him. Myriads of thoughts were racing in my mind, but I could not even piece one coherent thought. And at that moment, it didn't even matter. Because this was here, this was now. And _this_, whatever _this _was, would likely never happen again, ever. So I kept my trepidations to myself, and decided to savor _this_.

And the rest was history.

* * *

**Kpop reference of the chapter! Inspirits, did you see what I did there? Before the dawn~ before the dawn~ yeah, yeah. **

**I'm leaving this with a cliffhanger—a very vague and ambiguous cliffhanger, that begs for a million different assumptions and implications. Okay, I'll shut up now, because I am beginning to incorporate lessons from my Philosophy and Communications class. What a geeky thing to do. ****_Not. Cool_****.**

**I wonder what would happen next…**

**_Fufufu_****. Reviews are always a delight!**


	9. The Incident

**_Chapter IX: The Incident_**

* * *

"Damn, this snow just won't let up." I grumbled tersely, sifting through the towering stacks of paper in front of me. Carefully setting aside one massive pile to retrieve my then discarded laptop, I said as an afterthought, "And this homework won't let up either." I smirked to myself, craning my head to discern whatever reaction I could have elicited from my ice-block-of-a-partner (I kept my fingers crossed he took my hint and gave me even five minutes' worth of breather). With my luck, I only managed to squeeze a reproachful glare and a disdainful clicking of his tongue. I shrugged in melodramatic hopelessness.

"We need to have this cleared tonight, so we can begin on the anatomy model immediately." Was all he said, too absorbed in his newfound relationship with his History textbook. Meanwhile, I took to scanning mine, adamant on finishing our Powerpoint quickly to earn my well-deserved break. I would finally finish the stupid assignment nearly an hour later, and wasted no time hurling my numbing ass off the recliner and onto Neji's bed. He said nothing, his nose still buried in his books. I wrapped the comforters around me, poking my head out of my fluffy robes.

"Hyuuga, you done yet?"

"Yes." He snapped the book close, returning the material to its rightful place in his knapsack. "But," he retrieved his binder, carefully slipping the freshly printed History report inside, "now I have to begin with our Lit composition." He stood up briefly to plug in his charger, and resumed his position on his chair once again, summoning several Chrome pages (all with about a handful of tabs to them, might I add), folders, and Word files. I crawled to the edge of the bed, prodding his back with my foot. Neji swatted my foot away, glaring at me.

"Cut yourself some slack, will you?" I clicked my tongue. Neji sighed.

"I can't, we—"

"—Have to finish this so we can begin on the anatomy model immediately," I cut him off, mocking him by lowering my voice a few notches in a horrible imitation of his, "I get it. Like ten minutes makes the biggest difference in the world. Loosen up, dude! I swear, you'll work yourself to death one of these days if it weren't for me." Rolling my eyes, I grudgingly lifted myself off the bed and attempted to drag Neji's chair away from his table. He only groaned, initially putting up a fight and trying his mighty best to focus on his self-imposed task as I pester him nonstop, but eventually acquiesced, stood up, and sat on his bed.

He eyed me sternly. "Okay, ten minutes—"

"Yes, that's all I need!" I lunged for my belongings, fluffy makeshift robes and all, and grabbed all three party packs of chips I managed to squeeze in. Neji was obviously unfazed by my extraordinary camper skills, and opted instead to pick on my rather unhealthy eating habits. The cynic in him was always quite wont to do such.

"Tenten, I don't think _Pick A_s are ideal to eat at…" he glanced at his wall clock, "Oh, I don't know, _2AM_?" I scrunched my nose at him.

"Neji, there's _never _an ideal time to eat junk foods. _Ever_." I stressed, opening my first pack and proffering it at him. Despite himself, Neji grabbed a fistful of chips anyway. I smirked. We fell into companionable silence, simply taking the time to recharge and to re-gather our wits.

* * *

As I began to wonder about anything and everything, simply for an absence of a better thing to do, my train of thoughts made a turn for the dangerous, uncharted territories I never dared cross. And again, simply because there was nothing else to keep me occupied, I decided to brave my own monsters for once, and humored myself.

_Neji, I grew up in Kumogakure._

_Why don't you believe it?_

_Why don't _I _believe it?_

_Why did you ever even ask it? It hurts. Why does it hurt?_

Stop.

_I did not grow up in Kumogakure. It was a lie. All a lie._

Stop it.

_It was never Kumogakure. Never. It was a lie._

Stop it!

_But it was never Konoha either… right? _Right_?_

_It hurts! Why, Neji? Why! Why have you never—!?_

"Tenten! Tenten, snap out of it!"

"Huh?"

"Tenten, what's wrong?" Neji's hands were firmly gripping my shoulders, shaking my person violently. He was frazzled, if only a touch panic, but there was still the same air of firmness to him that I had always taken comfort in. He was a rock, immovable and unyielding. My rock against a hard place.

_I had always taken comfort in him… _Always_._

"Tenten!"

I unconsciously shrugged Neji's hands off, and rather violently too. He quickly retrieved them, but for a fraction of a second, a pang of hurt flashed in those ever-emotionless opalescent eyes of him. My own eyes widened in disbelief, and I heard a loud, pained sob escape my lips. My hands instinctively flew to my mouth, gasping as I did so. Another strong sob racked my body, until I was reduced to nothing more than an undignified pile of trembling limbs and atrocious wailing. Neji's previous reclusion vanished in an instant, and he wrapped his arms around me in a comforting, familiar gesture.

"Neji, what's going on?" I hiccupped furiously. The successive sharp intakes of breath hindered my speech, and even I struggled to piece together my words. Neji seemed to have gotten what I was attempting to say anyway, and said placidly,

"Shhh, it's okay, Tenten." He whispered in a voice so soft, I would never have imagined Neji was capable of such. "It's okay, we'll figure this out later." His voice was gentle yet so firm, and I took comfort in them. I nodded meekly, as he continued rocking us back and forth in a soothing rhythm.

* * *

It was a taboo. We would take to calling it The Incident, but it would never be talked about if it were possible. It was nothing more than an accident, and some accidents were meant to be buried in the dark recesses of the mind, locked and bolted away, never to be remembered ever again. And there were many times that I was thankful that The Incident was a private moment I shared with Neji, of all people. Because he was likely the only living man that could take a secret to the grave.

Other times, I cursed my luck that it was with him. _Of all people_.

_Such display of weakness_. I clicked my tongue, hefting the strap of my bag higher against my shoulder. I punched in my combination, and my locker door swung open. I emptied my bag of the impossibly heavy textbooks, and refilled it with my sketchpad and art materials. Glancing sideways at the mirror Ino was all too glad to have hang, I checked my appearance briefly, grimacing in the process.

_Looking fabulous today, aren't we, Tenten? _I flicked my bangs, taking extra time to glare at the dark circles beneath my eyes. When I finally made peace with the fact that glowering at my eye-bags will not make them go away (nor make me any less hideous, actually), I sighed warily, closed my locker, and rammed my forehead against the metal. "_Shit, _ouch!" I snarled as my head collided with the elevated plate that bore my locker name. Hastily, I reopened my compartment and checked my reflection, wincing at the smarting red spot marring my forehead. I cussed again.

Things had not been well for me lately.

* * *

Iruka-sensei smiled amiably as I entered the classroom. He gestured for a vacant spot in his general right, and I slipped in the seat next to Sasori. The redhead regarded me with his trademark blank smile, which I found both impossibly cute and unnerving. Iruka-sensei reached for his planner, thumbed through the pages quickly, and closed it with an audible _snap_. He beamed at us, clapping his hands once to get our attention, "So today, class," He began in his usual gentle tone, "you are to choose a partner and—draw them!" He grinned, visibly proud with himself.

I snuck a glance at Sasori at the same time he smiled at me again. I grinned back, shrugging, as though apologetic (although to be honest, not quite), and turned to him. "Hey, sorry you had to put up with a lousy partner." Sasori shrugged.

"Not really. If it is anyone other than Deidara or Tobi, they'll do just fine." He stood up, motioning for one of the drawing areas in the corner of the expansive room, but I shook my head.

"Actually, how about we spice things up and go outside for once? I was thinking of adding a backdrop… I mean, if that's okay with you." I hastily added, shaking my palms before him. Sasori glanced at the window, contemplating my suggestion with an adorable pout. He finally turned to me, and shrugged with finality. Excusing ourselves, we headed outside and took a spot by one of the large cherry blossom trees lining the massive Konoha High field. "It's nice to get a breath of fresh air every once in a while." I mused, relishing in the strong breeze that passed. The thin blanket of snow was beginning to disappear as the afternoon, January sun glared at it.

Sasori said nothing as he prepared his materials. I joined him a while later, propping my sketchpad on my lap, and twirling my mechanical pencil in my hand. He eyed my choice of pencils briefly, but said nothing. The gesture, however, did not go unnoticed by me, and I explained myself, "I like using mech pens… for drafts. They're… more convenient; easier to erase, and stuff."

"Hm." I looked down, embarrassed over my nearly unintelligent babbling. Sasori was one of the few (and rare) members of the male specimen that I had harbored some degree of appreciativeness of. He was a perfect blend of feminine features and masculine charms. A pretty boy, if you will. And insofar as my preferences goes, it was no secret how I am more partial to the "pretty" ones (like, perhaps, one who keeps their hair gorgeously long and silky that puts mine to shame). It was no surprise that I would inexorably find myself stuttering like a fool, at times, around him. _For shame_. "I don't think there's anything wrong with it. We all have our preferences." He shrugged, referring to his penchant for drawing tablets and digital art.

"I suppose you're right." I smiled widely and noticed Sasori's eyes widen for a heartbeat, before he ducked his head and scribbled furiously. I shrugged, admittedly a little thrown off by his occasional display of eccentrics, but took to drawing him as well. I began with a rough shape of his torso, leaving my fingers to their devices. After a quick once-over of my subject and my drawing, I smirked, biting my lip as I made a few adjustments to my sketch. About an hour later, I retrieved my Copic markers from my knapsack, and began the arduous but fulfilling task of coloring. When I was finally finished, I erased the excess lines, grimacing and cussing when I accidentally creased my paper. "I'm done!"

"Hold on, I have a few more touch ups." Sasori called, dripping his brush slightly in the water and on to a shade of yellow (was it gold?), before reapplying it on his paper. After a while, he leaned back, grinning at his sketchpad, satisfied. He and I stood up and exchanged materials. My eyes widened, and I gasped as I took in his work.

"Is this me? Wow, this is amazing!" I breathed in genuine awe. I glanced at Sasori to shower him with compliments, when I unexpectedly met gazes with him halfway. He was eyeing me in that deep, calculating manner of his that does not give away even a sliver of what is running through his mind. I shuddered under his scrutiny. "Sasori?"

"How did you know?"

I gulped, "What?"

"This." He gestured to my work, "How did you know about it?" I peeked at my own drawing, and eyed him in confusion. "I love puppets. My parents, my grandmother, they were all puppeteers."

"Oh!" I exclaimed in recognition. I had, indeed, drawn Sasori as a puppet. What first began as a mistake in which I accidentally drew the guide for his shoulder blade a tad too wide and low to be considered anatomically correct, led to me completely abandoning my initial idea of drawing Sasori against a Konoha High backdrop, in favor of doing my take in his personality. Sasori, to me, in some ways, was like a puppet. At times, he was simply too perfect. Not in a love-struck, romantic way, but because of his emotionless nature that never let out much. He was unlike Neji whom I could occasionally read into. He was… blank; a puppet whose emotions and disposition depended on who he was with. He was perfect in a twisted, malevolent kind of way; the perfect canvas. "That… I… well… I've always thought you were… something like a puppet…" I admitted sheepishly.

Sasori smirked, interest piqued, "Oh? How so?"

I launched into a lengthy explanation of my assertion. He was smirking the whole time, nodding at my [quite nonsensical] rambling, but never giving an input. I finally finished my embarrassing tirade, and chanced a peek at him. "Well, there you have it."

"I see." He nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "That's quite a spot-on observation." He shrugged in dismissal. He turned to me, "So what do you think about my sketch?"

I glanced at the magnificent sketch in my hand. The portrait was, supposed to be, of me smiling the same wide smile I have always had. The lighting was beautiful, and Sasori had depicted it in such way that it casted a soft, almost ethereal glow on my person. My hair, although I am aware was quite unkempt at the moment, was drawn as though a soft breeze was playing on the loose tufts. It was a breathtaking artwork, one that I could never have pegged to be of me. Ever. Even if my name was written just below the sketch, right next to Sasori's signature.

"I think it's wonderful!" I laughed, "Honestly, I can't even imagine how this could in any way be me—"

"It _is _you." He said firmly. I stopped short, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, biting my lip in trepidation. I could feel Sasori's eyes locked on my person, in an almost reverent manner.

"Yeah… uhhh… thanks. I mean… well, you really have… the talent for making beautiful things out of the ordinary."

Sasori shrugged, "I simply draw what I see, Tenten. I rarely ever add an input." I blushed profusely, unable to form anything coherent (and acceptable) to _that_. "Would you like to keep it?"

"Eh?"

"It's yours if you want. Here." He retrieved the sketchpad and proceeded to tear off the page. I watched in muted amazement as he handed me what I could easily call one of the greatest illustrations I have ever seen in my life. I opened my mouth, although quite unsure of what to say to the sudden barrage of undivided male attention. Sasori eyed me, almost expectantly.

"Tenten!" _Oh god, not again._

I smiled apologetically at Sasori, hearing the [ominous] footsteps approach closer. I steeled myself (for what, I do not know) and breathed to calm myself. Spinning on my heel, I smiled, "Neji, hi."

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, one minute. We just have to report back to Iruka-sensei, and I'm good to go." I gathered my materials, careful not to wrinkle the art in my hands. Neji assisted me, pointedly ignoring Sasori and his mount-load of materials scattered in the field. I glared at Neji reproachfully, nodding my head in Sasori's general direction, as was the international sign for _Go help him, you insensitive prick._ He sighed, glaring at the ground, and shaking his head. I gaped at him in disbelief. _What is his deal? _With the added (although frankly, a little unwarranted) help, I finished quickly, and set aside my belongings. With an indignant, childish scowl, I walked over to Sasori and assisted him. "Hey." I said.

"Yeah?" Sasori murmured in acknowledgement, preoccupied with cleaning his watercolors.

"If you want," I began, a little unsure of myself, "You can have my sketch too. I mean, it would only be fair."

He glanced up, smiling the same blank smile, "Thanks. I appreciate the gesture."

"If you're finished," a rather rude voice cut as off, and I did not even bother with hiding my scowl, "I believe we should head off now."

"I got ya, Mr. Control Freak," I grumbled. Sasori eyed me curiously, smirking to himself. I shrugged, smiling at him apologetically. Neji grabbed my belongings and stalked off. I rolled my eyes in exasperation, "I can carry those by myself, thank you very much!" I called out scathingly. Neji ignored me.

It was, of course, one thing to have The Incident witnessed by Neji firsthand. It was a moment of undeniable weakness, in which my walls completely crumbled and I was utterly vulnerable. Which was why on one hand, I was ridiculously relieved that Neji, my rock against a hard place, was the one—the only living soul—to have witnessed it.

It was an entirely different matter with how he reacted to it. If Neji wasn't ridiculously possessive enough before The Incident, he was now. And while I would have, to a certain degree, found it romantic (if only a little wishful thinking), it was also a painful blow to my pride, an incessant rubbing of my weakness in my face even if never on purpose. I knew, of course, that Neji meant no harm, but many bad things are done in the name of good, right? (Damn, my J_urassic Park_ knowledge needs some brushing up.)

As we returned to the classroom, Neji remained in the shadows of the dimly-lited hall, dutifully ignoring my glower as Sasori and I walked past him. We showed our works to Iruka-sensei, who, after a plethora of compliments and a few warranted criticisms, finally dismissed us. I tore the drawing off my sketchpad and handed it to Sasori. Slipping it carefully inside his, we bade our goodbyes, and even shook hands. He gripped my hand firmly, smiling. "I believe if I keep you any longer, your boyfriend might skewer me and use my husk for target practice." I unconsciously glanced towards the door, where Neji was furiously glaring at us. I sighed, rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." I mumbled offhandedly. Recalling his words, I glared at him slightly, and added as a halfhearted afterthought, "And he's not my boyfriend."

Sasori merely shrugged. "Doesn't seem like it to me. Nice working with you." He walked on first, waving to Neji as he past by him. I sighed again, grudgingly making my way over to the ice prick.

"We need to talk." I gritted my teeth.

* * *

**Important announcements, before anything else. I am so, so, ****_so_**** sorry for not updating earlier. It has been a very busy week for me, and I'm hazarding a guess the succeeding weeks will be no less hectic. Aside from the ever-taxing academics, I am also balancing with it my activities in my dance group (a K-pop dance cover group, to be more precise), especially now that we have a contest coming up. I hope you understand why I couldn't update as often as I did before. But rest assured I wouldn't be abandoning this story for a second time. I just don't have much time for it as I would like, 'tis all.**

**K-pop reference of the chapter: 2AM! Yay. I'm back to openly referencing K-pop again. I feel like the last few references I made weren't really that attention grabbing, and were kind of lame if only somewhat forced. So, here you go. Normally, I would have written it as "two in the morning" for formality's sake or something, but that would defeat the purpose. So, there you have it.**

**Alright. SasoTen. Admit it, you weren't expecting that. (XD) I never would have imagined it either, but that's the power of fan-fiction for you. I don't think all crack pairings are simply for the laughs. Just because they don't have any interaction, doesn't mean ****_this _****can't happen when they do. Imagine. Sasori is a pretty boy, a tamer version of Sasuke and Neji, and a more expressive version of Sai. He is a perfect blend of all three. Wouldn't it be cute to see him interact with Tenten, in a normal sort of way in which they aren't about to skewer each other? Yeah, I think so too.**

**Antagonistic Neji is back! I missed depicting him as something of a Machiavellian villain (although not entirely). I hope he wasn't too OOC or something. But don't worry! Good 'ol sweet Neji will come back, eventually. And as for The Incident, are you guys putting two and two together yet? Don't worry, there are still lots of surprises to come. So stay tuned, folks!**

**Reviews are awesome, as always. And one more thing, if it isn't too presumptuous or obsessive to ask, I was wondering if, perhaps, we can try to get at least TEN REVIEWS for this chapter. I mean, it's still alright even if it was only one or two or even none at all (so long as you keep reading it, all is good), but the more reviews there are, the more I am motivated to write. Especially as, this is my first story to get over a hundred reviews. So yeah, you get the point.**


	10. Slenderman

**_Chapter X: Slenderman_**

* * *

Important notes; just in case you might not read this if it's in bold.

To make up for the lack of updates (and also, some shameless promotion) for this story, I encourage you awesome people to also give my other story a chance. For starters, that one is already _complete_, so you wouldn't be, hopefully, half as frustrated with it as you are with this.

**"Divine Intervention"** A NejiTen semi-AU (in which Neji survived the war, and all that happy ending clichés) where Hiashi is hell-bent on matchmaking Neji and Tenten, to the point where he enlists the help of Konoha 10 (yes, 10) and Hanabi, and everything just snowballs from there. There are twists, so I hope this would be enough to deviate from the typical matchmaking fics out there.

In case you might want to read more from me, I also have other stories you may check out. However, a word of caveat, I have not rewritten all my stories, and some of them are still very, very, _veryyyyy _cringe-worthy, so please don't wander too far into my account yet. For the sake of both our sanities. _Please_.

Other than that, have a nice read! And please give _Divine Intervention _a chance. And review, if you can, because reviews make me sugar-rush-high.

(PS: To those who've read _Divine Intervention_, you know I have a habit of misleading you guys with these author's notes. _(/Laughs_) Sorry!)

Now onto the actual story…

* * *

Neji was observing me impassively as I fumed my way over to him. Without a word, he relinquished my belongings when I roughly grabbed them from him. Turning on my heel, I stomped ahead of him, glancing backwards by a fraction to motion for him to follow. Dutifully, he caught up with me quickly but silently, regarding me in what I assume was a careful manner, "Tenten," he said.

"Yes, that's me." I growled. We exited the comfort of the building, and I cursed under my breath as the sky darkened and snow began to fall again. I ransacked my bag for an umbrella but came up empty handed. Neji silently offered me his, but I stubbornly stepped away. "No, Hyuuga, not this again." I said exasperatedly. He opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off, facing him so abruptly that he stopped in his tracks, "Cut it out, will you?"

"Tenten."

"Stop!" I gritted my teeth, "There, see, you're doing it again!" I stubbornly stepped out of his proffered umbrella, ignoring the biting cold that fell on my bare skin. I tugged my scarf higher against my cheeks, and my beanie lower against my forehead. "_Why_ are you babying me? You think I'm some damsel in distress now, don't you?" I rolled my eyes. The argument escalated just as the snowfall worsened to a full storm. In spite of the near-violent chattering of my teeth and the relentless spasms, I went on with my tirade, anything but deterred. "Newsflash, Hyuuga Neji. Just because I broke down in front of you once, doesn't mean I suddenly can't stand on my own two feet. Well you know what, it if bothered you so much, I assure you it won't happen again." I snarled, "Because if you keep chaperoning me like this, I won't even try to show myself to you, stupid jerk—"

"_Tenten_! Shit!"

_Stupid Neji…_

* * *

The sound of rhythmic, mechanical beeping stirred me awake. I could not feel much of my body, only that it was excruciatingly warm and cold at the same time. An unpleasant chill racked all over me, and I shuddered loudly. I began to make sense of the unfamiliar surrounding, slowly making the connection between the immobility of my right hand and the handful of IVs attached to it; the soft hum and continuous jets of air right in my face, and the mask strapped on me.

I jerked awake, glancing around and seeing a teary Kurenai, fast asleep on the couch. I called out for her, wincing when my voice came out too husky for my liking. I cleared my throat, "Auntie!" I said. Kurenai began to stir after the tenth call, and finally woke up. She bounded over to me immediately, gushing.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

"Tenten! I was so worried."

_Beep. Beep._

"What's going on?"

_Beep. Beep._

"Honey, you're in the hospital—"

_Beep._

"What! Is it serious? Life threatening?"

_BEEP._

"Well, yes if—"

_BEEEEEEEEEEP._

A sudden vertigo socked me violently, and I closed my eyes to assuage the pain. Moments later and I had lost consciousness again.

_Am I going to die?_

* * *

I woke up to the same sensations, only this time I was quicker on the uptake. An unfamiliar but friendly face peered down at me as I roused up, and she silently worked about me. After giving me, and all the death contraptions attached to me, a once-over, she scribbled on her clip pad, before placing the material down on the table. "Hi, Miss Fujisaki. I'm Dr. Rin Uchiha. How are you feeling?"

My first impulse, having just woken up, was to comment bitingly. But Dr. Uchiha's angelic smile was rather infectious, and I found all unpleasant remarks abruptly subdued. I smiled weakly in return, "Please call me Tenten, ma'am. And I'm fine. At least I think so. I don't really know the protocol when you just find out you're terminally ill." I glanced sideways to check on my Aunt, but found her previous lounge unoccupied.

She raised a brow, "Terminally ill? Who told you that?"

The hum of the device was becoming increasingly distracting, and I gestured at the apparatuses littering the hospital room. "My aunt was crying buckets."

"Did I say anything about you being sick to death?" Kurenai waltzed inside, carrying an armful of her favorite junk foods. She sat on the couch, depositing her newly amassed foods of death beside her. "I said nothing of the sort." She said defensively when Dr. Uchiha fixed her a look.

"You told me it was life threatening." I said.

"It _is_, Tenten, but only if it isn't treated early on." The doctor smiled her winning smile again, "You have pneumonia, but thankfully, nothing that cannot be fixed." She gingerly placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it slightly as reassurance. I eyed her mutely, pointedly, as I processed the information. I coughed, a little uncontrollably, and realized for the first time that the contraption on my face was not for oxygen alone, but for a handful of other gasses. _A nebulizer_!

I nodded sheepishly, finally coming to terms with everything, but remembered a detail that did not add up, "Then why were _you _crying?" I glared accusingly at my aunt. It was her turn to feel shamefaced. She smiled.

"I was watching some soap operas, and it was at the part where this guy was about to switch his body with the girl he loves so she could live—"

"Okay, I know where this is going." I said dismissively. The gusts of air gradually lessened until there was barely anything at all, and Dr. Uchiha summoned a nurse in the room. The nurse, younger than Dr. Uchiha and likely only a few years older than me, was _cute_. He removed the mask and began to clear the device away. He smiled at me, and I smiled back, feeling every bit like a giggly teenager. I was snapped out of it when an incessant beeping rang in the air shrilly, nearly making me jump out of my skin. _Oh no. _Was the ECG giving me away _at a time like this_?

"Whoa," the nurse spoke; his voice was a lovely baritone, "Looks like your IV's almost out again." The nurse nodded at Dr. Uchiha and smiled at me, before leaving the room. I glanced sideways to see a small screen bearing the percentage of the three IVs strapped on my arm. Two of them were almost out, and the 3 and 5 percents were flashing in red lights. _So it wasn't an electrocardiogram. Guess I was just beside myself for nothing_. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry or ram my cranium against the nearest solid object.

"Dr. Uchiha…" I turned to find my aunt deep in conversation with my doctor. Her name rang a bell the first time I heard it, and now that I had gotten my head out of a self-made gutter in which I was under the stupid impression that I was about to die, I realized that she was an _Uchiha_, of all people (how many Uchihas are there in the world anyway?). She laughed at something my aunt said, and I rudely (but so suddenly that I surprised myself too) interrupted their conversation.

"Dr. Uchiha?" She turned to me, smiling brightly, "How are you related to Sasuke?" I blurted out. She eyed me briefly, and it could have only been me, but I swear I saw a flash of disappointment in her eyes for a fraction of a second, before her winning smile was back.

"He's my nephew-in-law." She said, "Do you know Tobi?" I nodded,

"Yeah. He's in my class, too. And we're in the same clubs."

"His older brother, Obito, is my husband."

"Ah, so you know Kakashi-sensei!" The pieces were finally clicking. _Wow, Konoha is such a small world! _"This is so cool."

"We know each other by mutual acquaintances, Tenten." Kurenai said by way of explanation, "She's one of the best doctors _ever_, so you're very lucky to have her as one." Dr. Uchiha nudged her playfully. The doors swung open and in walked my nurse from earlier, carrying with him two bags of transparent liquid. Affixing them onto the metal rod, he began to make light conversations with me, just as Dr. Uchiha (whose shift was apparently over for the evening) and Kurenai bade goodbyes to catch up or something-or-the-other. I politely waved back.

"Hello, Miss Fujisaki." The nurse began, "I'm Kabuto. I'll be in charge of you 'round the clock." I glanced up, finding him focused on his task. His metal nameplate glinted beneath the light. _Kabuto Yakushi_.

"Call me Tenten, please. I'm not so big on the formalities." Kabuto turned to me, smiling.

"Hello, Tenten." I nodded. "Now I will check on you regularly, but in case I'm not around here and this starts beeping again," he tapped on the screen, "just ring me up." He moved around the bed, stopping in front of a small device just by its side. He gestured at it, "It's like an intercom of sorts. Anyway, if you need help, just give us a call down the nurse's station, alright?" I nodded in understanding, not really seeing a need to call him for anything else outside what his regular rounds should cover, but making a mental note regardless, in case of anything. Kabuto smiled, "Do you have any questions, so far?"

"Uh, yes," I snuggled more comfortably against my blankets, "Am I allowed to have visitors?" Kabuto looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well, Tenten, if you're not having visitors under the age of ten, I'm sure they'll be fine." He jested good-naturedly. I grinned in relief, glad I wouldn't have to spend my days all alone in bed. "Would you like to turn in for the night? It's pretty late." He glanced backwards, eyeing the wall clock. _10:10. _It read. I grinned childishly.

"Actually, I have one more question before I hit the hay." Kabuto was scribbling down some instructions on the small whiteboard. He hummed in acknowledgement. "Who brought me here?"

The doors swung open, and Neji walked inside, his sports bag hefted against one shoulder. "Oh, there's your answer." Kabuto nodded at him, pocketing the marker away. Our eyes met briefly, lightning-induced glares parried once again between us, before Neji turned away to deposit his belongings on the couch. "He'll be with you all night long, so you two," Kabuto turned to us, his expression grim, "No funny business. I'm not going to lie; there are not hidden cameras inside this room. But if you do anything uncalled for…" he trailed off, the threat being carried by the cold January wind. His eyes darkened as he turned on his heel. But he gave me a charming smile, and Neji, a knowing smirk, before he closed the door.

I turned to my new companion. "Thank you." I said simply, careful to maintain my cool, and my composure in general. Neji nodded, moving forward an inch, but finally deciding against it. He opted to seat instead.

"How are you feeling?"

"I've been better, to be honest." I shrugged, twirling the line of IV. "But it would be nice if we could have the talk now." Neji motioned for me to begin, and I inhaled deeply. "Well first thing's first. What happened to me?"

"You fainted." He seemed to be considering something, and quickly added as an afterthought. "Mid-rant. And then you fell down and… I had to dig you out."

I willed the earth to swallow me now. "Exactly… how, pray tell, did something like that happen?"

"We were in the Arts building, remember? You know that slope you and Lee made a challenge out of? We were there when you collapsed. And because the snowing was so bad, when you fell..."

_Heavens; how embarrassing_. "I didn't think I was sick."

"I didn't either." He shrugged.

"Thank you, again." I said, firmer this time, "For not only saving me from pneumonia, but from hypothermia as well, apparently." His lips rose for a fraction over the jab, and I felt better, "Now, moving on." A hush of somberness befell on us, and I almost regretted plunging our conversation south. _But some things have to be said and gotten over with. _"Neji, I'll cut to the chase. What happened between us—The Incident—I'm sure you know how much of a moment of weakness that was for me. You know me. I don't do waterworks. So I hope that you understand that by babying me—as you've been notoriously doing for the past month—is as good as rubbing it in my face." I held out my palms, silencing him and his impending arguments, "Let me finish. I know you have no intentions of doing that. Dare I say, you only have my best interest at mind, but still, Neji, you're going about this in the wrong way, you know? If people didn't think we were a couple before, they sure do now. In fact, the whole school _had been buzzing with nothing _for the last weeks. I don't know about you, but it's been extra troublesome for me lately with all the accumulated fan-girl hate." I took a moment to catch my breath. "That's one thing,

"I also happen to notice, Neji, because you aren't the most subtle person I know, that you've been incredibly rude to some of the boys I _talk _to." I said tartly, and Neji had the grace to look down, "The latest being _Sasori_, who was only my _art partner_. That was the last straw, you know? What were you being a big fat jerk for?" I crossed my arms, imploring him to answer with my raised brow. Neji looked at squarely, but his eyes seemed far away, as though he was piecing together something. He sighed.

"I don't know."

_Excuse me!? _"What."

"I don't know what I was being, and I quote, 'a big fat jerk for'." Neji mirrored my actions, crossing his own arms against his chest, "I told you before. I have my issues. And I know it is most rude to vent it out on other people, but… I can't help it. You're… at the heart of all this, to put it frankly."

I doubled over. "Issues? What did I do to you?"

Neji glanced up, and the same flash of hurt was in his eyes again. "Tenten, do you remember your first day at school?"

"Neji, I doubt anyone who'd been creeped up on by the student council president, of all people, will forget their eventful first day, so yes, I still do." He smirked, the pain slowly ebbing away.

"That was probably the first time I ever apologized to anyone. For anything."

"Why am I not surprised." I rolled my eyes, shaking my head in amusement.

"I don't like arguing with you, Tenten." He admitted solemnly.

"I don't either."

"I feel like when I do, it's…" he frowned, contemplating on the words, "… suffocating. It doesn't feel right. That's why when you apologized, I didn't know whether to leap for stars—which, I don't normally do, you know—or bury myself with all the guilt I was feeling. You didn't do anything wrong, yet there you were, putting yourself out there. I was a jerk. I still am. And I'm sorry; more sorry than you could probably even imagine."

"Well, given that you're actually saying _paragraphs _to me, speaks volumes, Neji." I chuckled, "I'm sorry, too. I said some mean things in my frustration, and some of them were uncalled for." A moment passed by in which we only smiled at each other, "I… I think I owe you an explanation."

"Tenten—"

"You deserve it. But after this, do you promise never to keep secrets from me again?"

Neji was gazing at me heavily, and I blushed under his intense stare. "I promise." I held out my pinky finger, and he hooked his around mine. A jolt of electricity passed by us, and quickly shook our intertwined fingers to seal the deal. We retrieved our hands, and I began to explain.

"The Incident… I... I've been having episodes like those even before. They go way back. I don't remember when they started; they were only there." I swallowed, "I've got a pretty messed up head, Neji, and a pretty messed up past. It's like having Slenderman on your heels; you know he's there, and sometimes you want to face him, but then you say, 'nah, better not', because you know you'll be crying like a little sissy in the night, scared out of your wits, if you _do _see him—and I'm rambling, sorry, I was playing Slenderman the other day, and Konohamaru and I had an impromptu sleepover in Kurenai's bed. With Kurenai and Asuma in it."

Neji was chuckling. The jerk. He was enjoying my misery. I cleared my throat.

"I was also playing Amnesia; I'm a little paranoid. Please don't leave in the middle of the night."

"I won't, Tenten. Your story?"

"What story?"

"The Incident."

"Oh. Yeah. Where was I?"

"With your Slenderman logic."

"Oh yeah. That. Well the point is, I'm a little screwed up in the head. I keep having these weird visions or some psychic stuff like that. I think they're memories, but I can't really connect them to anything solid, so I can't tell. When I had The Incident, I was thinking about where I came from. You asked me where I grew up, right? The obvious answer should have been Kumogakure, but a huge part of me was saying it's not. Konohagakure also pops in somewhere in the equation. It was so confusing, and, for some reason, ridiculously painful, and I didn't even know _why_, but every time I have these Incidents, I just start crying after." I glanced at Neji to gauge his reaction, but his perfect poker face was on once again. "I told you I'm messed up."

Neji sighed, "Not messed up; just confused. You need some rest, Tenten."

"What about you? Don't you have classes?"

"It's Saturday tomorrow."

"Oh. Well… tuck me in!" I grinned.

"Do I have to read you a story too?" Neji said, warily. I stuck my tongue at him.

"No, silly, I was just kidding." But he crossed to the bed regardless, pulling on the edges of the blankets, and nudging me down on my pillows. For a brief moment, I was almost hopeful that he would kiss me goodnight, but I was quick to squash such wayward train of thoughts. Instead, he ruffled my hair, smiling his small, private smile that melts my heart every time. "Good night, Neji. And I'm sorry again."

"Good night, Tenten. I'm sorry too. Sweet dreams." He padded over to the light switch, and the room was enveloped in darkness.

That night, I dreamt of Slenderman and Daniel, and in the craziness of it all, Neji was beside me with his trusty flashlight and sanity in tact.

But as luck would have it, the batteries soon ran out, and I woke up to the sound of Kabuto chuckling, and his reassuring, "_There, there, the monster won't come and eat you because the stupid _pull _door won't budge when pushed._"

* * *

**There we go. Chapter 10 is up!**

**I got the idea for a hospital scene after I've been sick for four days, and had to be brought to the hospital—just in case. Luckily, it was nothing serious, only a viral infection (insert some nosebleed-inducing scientific terms here) that had something to do with my lungs. It would go away in a few days, but the doctor prescribed I take a three-day bed-rest, which I was only too happy to comply with. As for the rest, the being-diagnosed-with-pneumonia and that tangent, it ****_did _****happen to me, on the summer before my senior year. Rest assured I am not entirely making things up. For the technical aspects, Google is, as always, an indispensable tool (****_thank you, Google_****!).**

**In case Tenten's apparent attraction to the male specimen is a little discomfiting for you, I've learned in my Psychology class that things like these are absolutely normal for the growing teenager. I am, for one, not really an overly girly girl, until I hit puberty, so I could also testify to how troublesome estrogens are. On a side note, I think boys don't have the right to complain about crazy female hormones because us females deal with this on a daily basis for the rest of our lives.**

**Also, ****_Slenderman_**** and ****_Amnesia: The Dark Descent_****. I have a weird fascination with horror games (specifically survival ones), but always, always chicken out like a little bitch when the credits start playing, throw the console (or laptop—whichever I have in hand) to my dad, and peek out from the comfort of my pillows and blankets. Apart from ****_Slenderman_**** and ****_Fatal Frame: Crimson Butterfly_****, I never actually gotten around to playing any of the games I am so fascinated with. ****_/Pathetic._**

**K-pop references for the chapter: it's not a group, for the first time, but a drama! I don't know, but I'm a little too excited for something so trivial. ****_Haha. _****So anyway, we have a tribute to ****_Secret Garden_****. It was, I believe, episode 17 or 18, when Joo Won drove to a thunderstorm so he can swap bodies with Ra Im to save her. I cried like a little hussy over that scene because it was so, so ****_sad_**** (/****_sobs_****).**

**Thank you all so much to those who reviewed last time! More than anything, the fact that you guys read the Author's Notes really touched me. **


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